Hello,
[apologies for cross-posting]
As you may know, asbestos debris was found at the Bennett Library (Burnaby) in mid-November. As a result, the library’s fifth floor, which includes offices and workspaces for students, staff, and librarians plus a very large number of books, remains closed while SFU performs asbestos abatement.
I am writing this email as an asbestos non-expert to simply share the information we have gained in the Library due to recent events.
Asbestos is found in lots of places. Until the 1980s, it was used extensively in many buildings, including offices and homes. It’s an excellent insulator so it’s often found around pipes and it is also fire resistant.
Per current standards, as long as asbestos is not disturbed, it’s safe to be around. But -- if it’s loose, there’s a very good chance that it’s not safe to be around. If you breathe in asbestos fibers you can seriously damage your lungs, including developing cancer, and the ill effects can take years to manifest.
I encourage you to make yourself aware of what it can look like. At SFU, areas that contain (normally intact) asbestos are labeled with an encircled red letter “A”. Use SFU’s ACM (Asbestos Containing Materials) Database to search for the presence of asbestos at the building and room level.
Asbestos can take many forms and can be part of the textured white ceilings that are common in many older buildings. If you see flakes or white dust on your workspaces or other surfaces coming off of the white ceiling, those flakes may be asbestos. Don’t ignore them. If you see damage or cracks in walls or around pipes and flaking, again, please don’t ignore it.
See the SFU page Asbestos: Compliance and Oversight for a list of items that may contain asbestos. Here’s a gallery of photos of the types of things that may contain asbestos.
It has been distressing to know that colleagues encountered loose asbestos over a period of time and simply brushed it away because they didn’t know what it was.
For reference, this was the sort of debris or white dust they saw, which contains asbestos.
As you may know, asbestos debris was found at the Bennett Library (Burnaby) in mid-November. As a result, the library’s fifth floor, which includes offices and workspaces for students, staff, and librarians plus a very large number of books, remains closed while SFU performs asbestos abatement.
I am writing this email as an asbestos non-expert to simply share the information we have gained in the Library due to recent events.
Asbestos is found in lots of places. Until the 1980s, it was used extensively in many buildings, including offices and homes. It’s an excellent insulator so it’s often found around pipes and it is also fire resistant.
Per current standards, as long as asbestos is not disturbed, it’s safe to be around. But -- if it’s loose, there’s a very good chance that it’s not safe to be around. If you breathe in asbestos fibers you can seriously damage your lungs, including developing cancer, and the ill effects can take years to manifest.
I encourage you to make yourself aware of what it can look like. At SFU, areas that contain (normally intact) asbestos are labeled with an encircled red letter “A”. Use SFU’s ACM (Asbestos Containing Materials) Database to search for the presence of asbestos at the building and room level.
Asbestos can take many forms and can be part of the textured white ceilings that are common in many older buildings. If you see flakes or white dust on your workspaces or other surfaces coming off of the white ceiling, those flakes may be asbestos. Don’t ignore them. If you see damage or cracks in walls or around pipes and flaking, again, please don’t ignore it.
See the SFU page Asbestos: Compliance and Oversight for a list of items that may contain asbestos. Here’s a gallery of photos of the types of things that may contain asbestos.
It has been distressing to know that colleagues encountered loose asbestos over a period of time and simply brushed it away because they didn’t know what it was.
For reference, this was the sort of debris or white dust they saw, which contains asbestos.
Notes:
- Asbestos-containing materials may take different forms than what is shown in these photos.
- There are other materials on campus in addition to the texture coat that contain asbestos.
- Thanks to SFU EHS (Environmental Health and Safety) for giving me permission to use their photos here.
Small white asbestos particles on the surface of a desk.
Up close shot of a flake from the texture coat.
If you believe you’ve been exposed to asbestos please don’t hesitate to report it and remove yourself from the affected area immediately.
SFU recommends contacting your supervisor and SFU EHS if you suspect that there is loose asbestos in your workplace.
SFU EHS recently posted some information in the What’s On newsletter about asbestos which I encourage you to read.
SFU recommends contacting your supervisor and SFU EHS if you suspect that there is loose asbestos in your workplace.
SFU EHS recently posted some information in the What’s On newsletter about asbestos which I encourage you to read.
Nina Saklikar
Head, Digital Library Services
Simon Fraser University Library
Email: nsaklika@sfu.ca / Tel: 778.782.5861