Possible Stupid Question Time - Is this Asbestos?

[ZerO81]

This past weekend myself and Sir Judders of HdRVille were visiting a certain derped hospital over Yorkshire way and I noticed this white stuff all over the floor.

It could be some form of insulation, but it seemed to emanate from all the cast-aside pipe lagging, which i believe is known to contain asbestos, neither myself or Judders could decided 100&% if this is or is not asbestos, to be on the safe side we tried to give it a wide birth, but I may as well throw the question out to the wider audience as its a 'hazard of the job' for us is this stuff, and very dangerous and I would rather know for certain what I am on the look out for.

Cheers one and all

 

[possessed]

Looks like asbestos to me.

 

[AllyB]

I'd say fibreglass.

 

[Munchh]

Glass fibre pipe lagging is what it looks like to me, doesn't mean there isn't asbestos present though. Glass fibre is a pain cos it hangs on to you like ***** to a blanket. You should give it a miss either way.

 

[UrbanX]

Not a silly question at all. It could be either.
Asbestos is more widely used than people think, and isn't always hazardous.
Any kitchen sink made before the 80's will have a black 'rubber' pad under the tap to deaden the sound of the water - thats asbestos. Any rigid 'lino' tile from that time will have a high asbestos content, as does artex. Live buildings we go in every day are riddled with it, all completely safely, until its broken up of course.
Jest err of the sided of caution and just don't taste it.

 

[Judderman62]

should I not have liked it then ?

I wondered if fibre glass rather than asbestos but really wasn't confident either way

 

[ZerO81]

Looks like there are a few differing opinions so i am glad i asked now, even if its a ref for other people who are equally usure.

 

[AllyB]

For all things asbestos: http://www.flickr.com/photos/asbestos_pix/

 

[wolfism]

Look more like asbestos than fibreglass: the long whiskery strands are a tell-tale, as is the fact it's white (most commercial glassfibre insulation is either yellow, beige or pink). Can't be 100% but would suggest you leave it be, and give it a wide berth.

 

[Silent Hill]

May fit in with when the hospital was built etc. Was this taken in the boiler house per chance? Lagging of this type may well contain it.

 

[Judderman62]

we used to have fibre glass at school (they made canoes out of it etc) and that was thin, long, white ...that's what made me wonder if this was fibreglass.

Either way we weren't confident and there was shed loads of the stuff all over the place

 

[Judderman62]

no mate in the very modernised part of the old, main building

 

[UrbanX]

And of course a great guide right on the forum homepage
http://www.derelictplaces.co.uk/index.php?do=asbestos

 

[ZerO81]

This particular photo was taken in one of the walkways between buildings. To be honest, it was everywhere aside from the boiler house.

 

[flyboys90]

Thats not a daft question! the only way to find out is to ask,and either way I dont like the look of that insulation aviod it and get a good mask dont become a horror story.

 

[PaulPowers]

Best thing to do is wet it down

If you haven't got water then pee on it, the particles are only airbourne when dry

 

[Goldie87]

Certainly looks like asbestos to me.

 

[and7barton]

I'd bet on it being glass fibre cloth...... I work with it every day.

 

[chris]

I came across something that looked identical to Zero's picture that was being used to lag heating pipes in - I thought it was asbestos but I'm not so sure looking at the pictures on http://www.flickr.com/photos/asbestos_pix/page18/

 

[Ramsgatonian]

Rule to stick to - if you don't know what it is, stay back!