Asbestos is a naturally occurring silicate mineral that can be separated into individual fibers. These microscopic fibers are durable, strong, and heat-resistant. They are also malleable, thin, and flexible. So, they can even be woven into cloth or mixed with other products to enhance the quality of the final product.

How Is Asbestos Included in Other Products?

Because of these qualities, more than 30 million tons of asbestos were used in homes, industrial sites, commercial buildings, and shipyards across the US in the twentieth century. Thus, it is impossible to list all the products that have contained asbestos at one time or the other. However, more than 90 percent of asbestos products came into being due to the thermal insulation property of asbestos. Some of the most common products that appear in day-to-day life are fireproof vinyl floor tiles and sheets, roof sheets, and shingles reinforced with asbestos.

According to OSHA regulations, any product that contains more than 1 percent asbestos is dangerous and has to be labeled ‘asbestos containing material’. Vinyl floor tiles and vinyl sheets made from asbestos contained up to 28 percent asbestos before 1980, after which it came down to 8 percent.

Why Was Asbestos Added to Vinyl Products?

By itself, asbestos is highly friable. The term friable means that asbestos can easily be pounded or crumbled into individual fibers. To overcome this property, asbestos is combined with some binding material. Under normal circumstances, vinyl tiles and sheets used in flooring are not friable, although sprayed-on asbestos insulation is highly friable.

If your vinyl floor tiles contain asbestos and they are chipping, frayed, damaged, or crumbling, they need to be removed immediately. However, unless clearly marked on the product label, it is impossible to identify the presence of asbestos in vinyl floors without a laboratory test.

Asbestos-reinforced adhesives were very common in the 1950s and contained up to 5% asbestos. The construction industry used these adhesives to seal and bond a variety of surfaces such as glass, mirrors, lumbar, and brick. Floor tiles were often fixed using asbestos-containing adhesive. This is particularly dangerous because removal or maintenance work usually involves scraping off the adhesive, which releases fibers into the air.

Vinyl floor tiles containing asbestos are relatively harmless unless damaged. However, you would generally not take a risk with such a hazardous product because asbestos exposure could lead to Asbestosis, Lung cancer or even Mesothelioma.

If you suspect asbestos exposure, contact an experienced asbestos lawyer to explore the possibilities of insurance coverage for the same.