こんばんわ
I see a lot of people talking about asbestos here, what it is and how to protect against it. Now, you might be wondering, why do we need this thread? We all know the best way, is simple, no big deal.
NO
Most people here suggest a face mask. These people are stupid.
firstly, we must understand the enemy.
Asbestos is a mineral, unusual in that it is naturally formed into fibres that can be woven, or used in other ways. It was popular for a long time due to its amazing properties such as being highly heat resistant, fireproof, and capable of making excellent filters (beware the Soviet filter for it shall damn your lungs) as well as being used in a host of building materials from plaster to linoleum due to its ability to strengthen and fireproof them - in the UK it was legal to use it right up until the turn or the millennium! So, why was this miracle material phased out, and why are we worried about it?
Well, you see, the thing is, the fibres have a nasty habit of infiltrating organic bodies and causing major damage. And they are next to impossible to remove. Fun. Of course the fibres are safe (in theory) if held in a medium, such as plaster, or the paper HEPA layer in that old GP-50 canister your looking at. Put it away. The thing is, we like to explore old buildings, yes? And old buildings tend not to be in the best of repair, and water damage, collapse, or wear and tear, can lead to these mediums being damaged and releasing hundreds of fibres.
These fibres can hang in the air for months, and are extremely dangerous. In general there are 3 types, Brown, White and Blue. Brown is the 'safest' - DO NOT BE FOOLED. White is in the midground and blue is the most dangerous. In general most asbestos you will encounter will be white, or brown. Blue was rarely used for construction as far as I know.
So, how can they damage you? Well, we all know about the dangers of breathing them in, but I feel the need to reiterate: They enter your lungs and stay there, shredding the lung tissue, causing fluid buildup, and eventually infiltrating the chest cavity and causing fibrous tissue matts to form. This takes years, and you essentially choke to death slowly. It IS NOT PLEASANT. In addition to this, the fibres can also infiltrate your skin. Here they usually cause blueish spots and irritation, though they could cause more damage in theory.
So, what do we do to protect ourselves?
Firstly, avoid asbestos. It is nasty stuff and you do not want to go near it. Buutttttttt..... Lets face it, there are some cool sites this rules out. So
Im not joking, this is what you are looking at. But with secured leg cuffs and disposable shoe covers. But lets break it down.
The most important things to remember are
>Protect your lungs and skin
>Anything worn can be contaminated and if not disposed of/cleaned can result in you being contaminated/bringing contamination back home to your loved ones/friends
>Hair can be likewise contaminated
>You must form a seal
With that in mind you can take your facemask and bin it. It wont stop covid, it wont stop asbestos, it will stop you from giving someone else a cold. Its not a filter.
What you want, firstly, is a full face mask with particle filters. Chemical filters wont do squat, you need the HEPA layer. Do your research, find whats best for you, and be ware of military masks - dont use anything with a filter dated pre-2000 as a rule of thumb. And avoid anything soviet, especially GP-5's, even the asbestos free filters contain chemicals you dont want to breathe in.
Next you need clothing, If the above suit is too much then you could go for a military suit, or a toned down version, or you could try to improvise. You want something made of leather or plastic. It has to be solid, not woven, like a waterproof. You want trousers and a coat/jacket, ideally with a hood. You also want to be able to seal the area between them. On top of this you want tough gloves (think marigolds or better) and disposable shoe covers.
Upon exiting the area you will need to decontaminate. To do this liberally shower yourself with water. The sleeves should be turned up and the gloves removed by peeling them off. The jacket should then be removed by drawing the hands in and lifting it off. Finally the trousers should be removed, along with the shoe covers. You can try to fully decontaminate the clothes or you can just dispose of them, your choice.
Do not bother with water if your clothing has a weave to it. The water serves to remove loose particles, the asbestos fibres will lock into woven fabric.
If all this seems a bit much, well, it is. But take it as a rough basis, at least for protective clothing and equipment. Asbestosis is no joke.
I see a lot of people talking about asbestos here, what it is and how to protect against it. Now, you might be wondering, why do we need this thread? We all know the best way, is simple, no big deal.
NO
Most people here suggest a face mask. These people are stupid.
firstly, we must understand the enemy.
Asbestos is a mineral, unusual in that it is naturally formed into fibres that can be woven, or used in other ways. It was popular for a long time due to its amazing properties such as being highly heat resistant, fireproof, and capable of making excellent filters (beware the Soviet filter for it shall damn your lungs) as well as being used in a host of building materials from plaster to linoleum due to its ability to strengthen and fireproof them - in the UK it was legal to use it right up until the turn or the millennium! So, why was this miracle material phased out, and why are we worried about it?
Well, you see, the thing is, the fibres have a nasty habit of infiltrating organic bodies and causing major damage. And they are next to impossible to remove. Fun. Of course the fibres are safe (in theory) if held in a medium, such as plaster, or the paper HEPA layer in that old GP-50 canister your looking at. Put it away. The thing is, we like to explore old buildings, yes? And old buildings tend not to be in the best of repair, and water damage, collapse, or wear and tear, can lead to these mediums being damaged and releasing hundreds of fibres.
These fibres can hang in the air for months, and are extremely dangerous. In general there are 3 types, Brown, White and Blue. Brown is the 'safest' - DO NOT BE FOOLED. White is in the midground and blue is the most dangerous. In general most asbestos you will encounter will be white, or brown. Blue was rarely used for construction as far as I know.
So, how can they damage you? Well, we all know about the dangers of breathing them in, but I feel the need to reiterate: They enter your lungs and stay there, shredding the lung tissue, causing fluid buildup, and eventually infiltrating the chest cavity and causing fibrous tissue matts to form. This takes years, and you essentially choke to death slowly. It IS NOT PLEASANT. In addition to this, the fibres can also infiltrate your skin. Here they usually cause blueish spots and irritation, though they could cause more damage in theory.
So, what do we do to protect ourselves?
Firstly, avoid asbestos. It is nasty stuff and you do not want to go near it. Buutttttttt..... Lets face it, there are some cool sites this rules out. So
Im not joking, this is what you are looking at. But with secured leg cuffs and disposable shoe covers. But lets break it down.
The most important things to remember are
>Protect your lungs and skin
>Anything worn can be contaminated and if not disposed of/cleaned can result in you being contaminated/bringing contamination back home to your loved ones/friends
>Hair can be likewise contaminated
>You must form a seal
With that in mind you can take your facemask and bin it. It wont stop covid, it wont stop asbestos, it will stop you from giving someone else a cold. Its not a filter.
What you want, firstly, is a full face mask with particle filters. Chemical filters wont do squat, you need the HEPA layer. Do your research, find whats best for you, and be ware of military masks - dont use anything with a filter dated pre-2000 as a rule of thumb. And avoid anything soviet, especially GP-5's, even the asbestos free filters contain chemicals you dont want to breathe in.
Next you need clothing, If the above suit is too much then you could go for a military suit, or a toned down version, or you could try to improvise. You want something made of leather or plastic. It has to be solid, not woven, like a waterproof. You want trousers and a coat/jacket, ideally with a hood. You also want to be able to seal the area between them. On top of this you want tough gloves (think marigolds or better) and disposable shoe covers.
Upon exiting the area you will need to decontaminate. To do this liberally shower yourself with water. The sleeves should be turned up and the gloves removed by peeling them off. The jacket should then be removed by drawing the hands in and lifting it off. Finally the trousers should be removed, along with the shoe covers. You can try to fully decontaminate the clothes or you can just dispose of them, your choice.
Do not bother with water if your clothing has a weave to it. The water serves to remove loose particles, the asbestos fibres will lock into woven fabric.
If all this seems a bit much, well, it is. But take it as a rough basis, at least for protective clothing and equipment. Asbestosis is no joke.
