Asbestos

Asbestos Management:

Every building principal or designee shall effectively notify parents each year about the information on the availability of the asbestos management plan and planned or in-progress inspections, re-inspections, response actions and post-response actions,  including periodic re-inspection and surveillance activities. ISS conducts inspections twice a year in addition to an inspection done by an outside agency every three years. A copy of each schools' inspection is available at that school as well as in Mike James' office at the Facilities and Planning Division.

What is Asbestos?

"Asbestos" is the name given to a naturally occurring group of minerals composed of tiny, easily inhaled fibers. Because of its many useful characteristics, including fire and heat resistance, asbestos has been used since the mid 1800’s in the manufacture of some 3,000 different products. Common products include floor tile, linoleum, cement siding, roofing, pipe insulation, sprayed-on fireproofing, and decorative ceiling treatments.

In many products, such as vinyl floor tile and siding, asbestos is combined with a binding material so that it is not readily released into the air. However, if the materials are sanded or crushed, asbestos-containing dusts may become airborne and have the potential to be inhaled. The asbestos fibers may then enter the lungs where they tend to stay because of their shape.  Asbestos fibers can cause lung cancer and other lung disease that may not appear until many years after exposure.