Asbestos

Asbestos is a commercial name given to a variety of naturally-occurring fibrous minerals. These minerals possess high tensile strength, flexibility, resistance to chemical and thermal degradation, and electrical resistance. Asbestos has been used for decades in thousands of commercial products and building materials beginning in the late 1800's. By the 1980's, most asbestos-containing products were no longer used in the United States. Common building materials that may contain asbestos include wall and ceiling plaster, vinyl floor tiles, transite wall board, ceiling tiles, pipe insulation and roofing materials. Building materials that were installed prior to the early 1980's could possibly contain asbestos and must be tested prior to being disturbed.

SMU Facilities and the SMU Environmental Health and Safety maintain campus asbestos testing records. Prior to any work commencing in areas with ACMs, a records review is performed and additional testing is performed when necessary. Any operation where ACMs may be disturbed MUST be routed through Facilities.

Any suspected ACMs that are damaged or look to be in poor condition must be reported to EHS immediately.