What Is Friable Asbestos?
Asbestos-containing materials or products are categorized as friable or non-friable. Friable asbestos products are those that can easily release asbestos fibers. Asbestos is dangerous if the tiny fibers are released and can be inhaled into the lungs. This can happen when asbestos-containing ore or asbestos products are crushed or broken, and the asbestos becomes friable.
Some asbestos products were sold in powdered form and mixed with water. The powdered product released dust when the bags were opened and when the product was poured or mixed. Workers have described “clouds of dust” rising from these asbestos products.
Other products do not immediately create clouds of dust, but they are relatively soft and can be damaged by the pressure of a hand or foot so that they also release dust. Over time, the products may begin to wear or crumble, allowing asbestos fibers to escape.
Some asbestos manufacturers have argued that their products were non-friable—that asbestos fibers were encapsulated or embedded in the product and were not released. If the asbestos fibers could not escape the product, the product could not cause harmful exposures. But in truth, no asbestos product is reliably non-friable. Normal wear and tear may be enough to cause the product to deteriorate and release fibers.
Sometimes a product that appears non-friable will predictably release fibers when it is installed or removed. For example, asbestos-containing brake pads commonly had to be grinded to fit before being installed, exposing automotive brake mechanics to friable asbestos. And when gaskets, floor tiles and other hard products are removed or replaced, they must be scraped, broken up, sanded or ground away, causing the product to break down and release friable asbestos.