Is this asbestos?

silenoz

Hi,

Would anyone know if the sheet in the linked picture looks like it has asbestos in it? The sheet is about ~0.5cm thick with white patches and some sort of short white threads in the material.
Taken from a house that was been renovated. I got the house re-wired and had a new fuse board installed. While taking out the old fuse board, I ripped off a thin sheet of what I thought was wood, that had been holding fuse box components, and threw it outside. While cleaning up the debris from the house, one the lads helping me pulled out part of the sheet that I removed from the old fuse box and told me he thought it had asbestos.

https://ibb.co/SQs0VFj

The Continental Op

Yep looks like it but that doesn't 100% mean it is.

It was certainly used in fuses and fuse holders and less often as part of the fuse box.

listermint

Can't really tell from photo. Could also be particle board.

wmMagner

silenoz wrote: »

Hi,

Would anyone know if the sheet in the linked picture looks like it has asbestos in it? The sheet is about ~0.5cm thick with white patches and some sort of short white threads in the material.
Taken from a house that was been renovated. I got the house re-wired and had a new fuse board installed. While taking out the old fuse board, I ripped off a thin sheet of what I thought was wood, that had been holding fuse box components, and threw it outside. While cleaning up the debris from the house, one the lads helping me pulled out part of the sheet that I removed from the old fuse box and told me he thought it had asbestos.

https://ibb.co/SQs0VFj

Only way to know is have it sent off to be tested. Anyway always assume it is and wear the appropriate PPE. If any asbestos is not in the way, no need to touch it. Once you start breaking it up and creating dust, that's where the problem starts

silenoz

listermint wrote: »

Can't really tell from photo. Could also be particle board.

Yeah, I thought it was some sort of particle board originally. It looks like there are wood fibres in it. I never would have thought there could be asbestos in it until it was mentioned to me.

dathi

https://www.hse.gov.uk/asbestos/assets/docs/beware-asbestos-reference-cards.pdf

have a look at page 13 of above was used extensively behind fuse boards

silenoz

dathi wrote: »

https://www.hse.gov.uk/asbestos/assets/docs/beware-asbestos-reference-cards.pdf

have a look at page 13 of above was used extensively behind fuse boards

Yeah, that's definitely it. Did some searching based off that and found this: https://asbestosremovalbrisbane.com.au/insulation-boards-for-asbestos-segmented-by-category-type/

That's the exact type of asbestos insulated board. Nasty stuff.
Kinda wish I hadn't asked now. Hard to believe this type of stuff is still sitting in houses. I had no idea what it was, I just pulled it apart removing it.

TooSense

From Health dot NSW dot gov

How can asbestos affect my health?
Breathing in asbestos fibres can cause asbestosis, lung cancer and mesothelioma. The risk of contracting these diseases increases with the number of fibres inhaled and the risk of lung cancer from inhaling asbestos fibres is also greater if you smoke. People who get health problems from inhaling asbestos have usually been exposed to high levels of asbestos for a long time. The symptoms of these diseases do not usually appear until about 20 to 30 years after the first exposure to asbestos.

When does asbestos pose a risk to health?
Asbestos fibres can pose a risk to health if airborne, as inhalation is the main way that asbestos enters the body. Small quantities of asbestos fibres are present in the air at all times, and are being breathed by everyone without any ill effects. Most people are exposed to very small amounts of asbestos as they go about their daily lives and do not develop asbestos-related health problems. Finding that your home or workplace is made from fibro products does not mean your health is at risk. Studies have shown that these products, if in sound condition and left undisturbed, are not a significant health risk. If the asbestos fibres remain firmly bound in cement, generally you do not need to remove the fibro.

People who have suffered health effects from exposure to asbestos have generally worked in either the asbestos mining or milling industry, worked in industries involved in making or installing asbestos products, or are from the immediate families of these people. In all of these situations there was exposure to high levels of airborne dust, from either the processes involved or from the clothes of the workers