Asbestos may be found in many different products and many different places. Examples of products that might contain asbestos are:

  • Sprayed-on fire proofing and insulation in buildings
  • Insulation for pipes and boilers
  • Wall and ceiling insulation
  • Ceiling tiles
  • Floor tiles
  • Old fume hoods and lab benches
  • Putties, caulks, and cements (such as in chemical carrying cement pipes)
  • Roofing shingles
  • Siding shingles on old residential buildings
  • Wall and ceiling texture in older buildings and homes
  • Joint compound in older buildings and homes
  • Brake linings and clutch pads

At OSU, asbestos is most likely to be found in:

  • Sprayed-on insulation in locations such as various mechanical rooms, steel reinforcing beams, and some ceilings in older buildings
  • Ceiling tiles in buildings built prior to 1981
  • Most 9" floor tiles in buildings
  • Many 12" floor tiles in buildings built prior to 1981
  • Insulation around pipes and boilers, and
  • Interiors of fire doors
  • Older mastic (glue) for floor tiles, baseboards.
pipe label Pipe and boiler insulation that contains asbestos will be labeled with identifying stickers and placards.

 

Asbestos-containing floor and ceiling tiles will not be labeled or marked. These tiles cannot be differentiated from other tile by visual means - they must be analyzed by a laboratory test.