FAQs about fiberglass hazards in buildings:

This article series provides information about how to identify fiberglass insulation in buildings and fiberglass hazards and fiberglass insulation contamination issues in residential and light-commercial buildings.

Q&A on Fiberglass Insulation Hazards-#2

Frequently-asked questions & answers about exposure to fiberglass or fiberglass dust & fragments in buildings: the sources, causes, health concerns, & remedies.

These questions and answers about the hazards of exposure to fiberglass or fiberglass dust in and around buildings were posted originally at FIBERGLASS HAZARDS - topic home. Be sure to review that article.

[Click to enlarge any image]

On 2019-07-20 by (mod) - what to do with this Johns Manville Fiberglass Insulation in my basement

Anon

Re the Johns Manville fiberglass insulation batts in your basement ceiling

The insulation looks loose and falling; if it is clean and dry, thus not mold-suspect, you can leave it in place, stapling up a permeable barrier such as housewrap to prevent shedding asbestos dust into the area below. Don't use plastic as you don't want the moisture barrier on the wrong side (down) of the joists.

On 2019-07-20 by Anonymous

Thank you for your reply. In this unfinished portion of basement, there is the Johns Manville fiberglass bats attached between ceiling joists. As pics show, they are not attached as well as they could be. What would you recommend, if anything, with this insulation? Thanks again.

On 2019-07-19 by (mod) - asbestos in Johns Manville fiberglass insulating batts?

Anonymous,

It's a fair question you asked. Asbestos was not used as an ingredient in fiberglass insulation. However on some other insulating products we have occasionally found reports of asbestos cross-contamination when the product was made at the same site where asbestos was used, stored, or moved.

I would say it's quite unlikely but not impossible that fiberglass product from Mansville had some cross-contamination with asbestos.

On 2019-07-19 by Anonymous

Could fiberglass batt insulation from mid to late 70’s ever contain small amounts of asbestos if made by company (johns Manville) that also made asbestos products at the time, or has this been shown to not be the case?

On 2019-07-03 5 by Anonymous

My question is in relation to fiberglass batt insulation attached between ceiling joists of an unfinished section of residential basement. There is no drywall ceiling that covers them. Some of the bats appear to be detaching from ceiling in some areas. However they are not being disturbed. Is this a hazard of any sort?

On 2018-07-06 by (mod) - fiberglass fragments released from HVAC ducts

Murphy

Your photo shows fragment of cut fiberglass and your note argues credibly that these were blown through the duct system - suggesting that the workers did not do very neat work and that their cleanup was inadequate.

Watch out: however for asking for duct cleaning. If your ducts are made from rigid fiberglass board, mechanical cleaning can damage the duct interior, making the duct shed fiberglass like crazy and essentially ruining all of it.

At this point you should be able to rely on air filters at the air returns and/or air handler to clean the system. Unless fiberglass is mechanically damaged (ground, sanded, walked-on) the fibers are mostly long and are easily caught in any decent air filtration system. Those larger chunks of course need to be cleaned.

If after replacing all of your air filters (I do not like filtering supply outlets as they cut air flow) a time or two if you are still seeing significant fiberglass shedding it'd be worth a detailed inspection of the duct system, using cameras where needed, to see where the remaining problem resides.

On 2018-07-05 by Murphy

I just had a new HVAC air handler and condenser installed. When installing the plenum above the air handler, the installer found that the plenum they had made was too tall and needed to be cut down about 6" or so.

He proceeded to cut the plenum, which is made of duct board (compressed fiberglass), in place directly over top of the open air handler! I questioned him if he should be doing that over the air handler but was ignored, and he continued to cut.

I was worried that fiberglass particles would be falling into the new air handler and once the system was turned on, that fiberglass would be blown throughout my duct work and into my home. So I spoke with the owner of the company and requested them to clean the air handler and the return box before running the air.

I was told it was no big deal that they do that all the time and I shouldn't worry about any fiberglass in the air handler. However to appease me, they did a quick vacuum with a shop vac using no attachments other than a hose.

The mix box in the attic was also replaced and had to be built in attic. The flex duct was removed from the old box, they used duct board to build the new box and had to cut holes in it to which the flex duct had to be reattached.

The air has been running for a week now and my eyes and the skin above my lip and under my nose is irritated (not itchy) and I wake up with congestion and sinus headaches. I am finding tiny pink fibers and particles along with fine dust on everything including my eyeglasses! I decided to leave my home and stay in a hotel for a night to see how I would feel, I had none of the aforementioned symptoms.

I also had made filters for every air vent in the ceiling, minus the two bathroom vents, before the new system was installed.

A few days after the air was on and running, I took the filter down in the kitchen vent to see if it had captured anything, pic attached. The pic is not staged, that is exactly how the filter looked when I removed it from the vent in the ceiling! I removed one in the living room and did not find large chunks but a lot of small pink particles.

Needless to say, I am extremely upset and very concerned about my health and safety, I know my homemade filters did not capture everything that was being blown through the system.

I realize the damage is done and my worst nightmare has happened, fiberglass particles have been blown throughout my home. So, what do I do now? How do I clean this up, where do I start, and is it my responsibility to do so?

IMAGE LOST by older version of Comments code - now fixed. Please re-post the image if you can. Sorry. Mod.

On 2018-07-03 by (mod) - guesses at fiberglass exposure at UC Berkeley are speculative

Seth

No one familiar with fiberglass insulation and the movement of particles in the air can nor should make a quantitative guess, much less assessment, of the level of airborne fiberglass particles in outdoor air that might be contributed by a single piece or length of fiberglass insulation on top of a debris pile exposed to an unknown wind velocity across fiberglass in an unknown condition.

The dose makes the poison for all substances. "Dose" for particles means exposure level - to a quantity of airborne particles of a particular size and chemistry - and the exposure duration.

With no quantitative data on particle sources, levels, sizes, wind velocity, altitude above ground, and the duration of exposure of people to those particles, there is no credible hazard assessment.

I'm not sure what constitutes "huge" in your view nor how one would assess the contribution of huge to airborne particle levels outdoors. Fiberglass insulation used in buildings is normally sold in 16" or 24" widths, in varying thicknesses, and in rolls cut to length to fit into a wall stud-bay (typically a maximum of eight feet) or into an attic floor (possibly longer).

However in my opinion, there is little chance of a measurable level of hazardous fiberglass in outdoor air from a typical 16-24" x 8 ft. section of intact fiberglass insulation (normally one side covered by kraft paper), exposed to the wind unless the fiberglass that is present has been significantly mechanically damaged such as by grinding, chopping, or sawing. Without those effects most of the fiberglass fibers are rather large and long.

When I have seen small fiberglass fragments - those that are more likely to pose a health hazard - they have been indoors in an enclosed space where the fiberglass insulation has been damaged and broken-up, for example by having been walked upon in an attic floor.

I might change that opinion if you were talking about an outdoor pile of fiberglass representing all of the insulation from a university building, particularly if it had been chopped up - conditions that are quite unlikely.

On 2018-07-03 by Seth

My 5 1/2 year old goes to one of UC Berkeley's pre-k early childhood programs. Repair/maintenance crews have been working since the University let out and they have been storing loose, open top bags full of dust and debris essentially around the exterior of the school in the immediate parking lots mostly.

The kids go on frequent walks through their off campus, campus, and walk by one of these heaps, daily. Today when I arrived to pick up my daughter, I noticed on top of the pile, a huge scrap piece of pink fiberglass insulation, sitting on top of the debris bags, uncovered, and upwind of where the kids walk and where I was parked.

I looked over at the direction the wind was blowing, and to my surprise, I saw a grey janitorial bin, filled with loose fiberglass scraps, also uncovered and above the top of the bin. Can anyone with a working knowledge tell me whether fiberglass particles are likely to be freed if left unprotected with ocean wind blowing directly over the material?

Mind you, Berkeley is dead center inline with the Golden Gate so there are practically 0 wind breaks to soften the wind here.

On 2018-02-23 by (mod) - two distinct size ranges for fiberglass particles found in building dust.

Paul

There are two distinct size ranges for fiberglass particles found in building dust. The very small particles in the range that you cite are typically from damaged material and are not cimmonly found in large quantity unless mechanical dannage has occurred. Much larger could be entire fibers of length that could even be inches long

Because we're starting with large long fibers when you get above the small particle range you could have fibers of almost any length.

On 2018-02-23 by Paul

Hi,
What size is the fibre glass dust found in residential attic spaces, please? I have read that glass fibre dust can range from 1 to 10 microns, but am not sure if that is found in lofts or from cutting or sanding it - you see I want to install a PIV unit and the Nuaire Drimaster has a G4 filter which only stops 10 microns and above, so I am worried about sending glass dust through our living spaces with this whole house forced air ventilation system.
Many Thanks.

On 2017-12-11 by (mod) - can't identify tiny irborne particles by visual inspection

Joann

I'd like to help but with just the information in your note I cannot hazard an intelligent guess at what is causing the airborne particles you are seeing.

It might help to know that there are always particles in the air. In most lighting conditions we don't see them, but when using a flashlight or other light beams, even sometimes sunlight through a window opening they become apparent. They were always there and they may be perfectly normal typical indoor dust such as fabric fibres.

This photograph shows what I mean: I simply turned on a flashlight in a dimly-lit room.

https://inspectapedia.com/sickhouse/DustyLight404-DFs.jpg

On 2017-12-11 by Joann

I have small particles air born falling. It can be seen with a led light.this is in my apartment. What causes this.

On 2016-04-03 by (mod) - central-air system filter systems can be effective in significantly dropping the indoor air particle level.

In my opinion only central-air system filter systems are effective in significantly dropping the indoor air particle level.

If there is a problem-particle reservoir in the building, for practical purposes we have an infinite particle source

. Running an "air cleaner" in a single room is as effective at removing the problem as standing in the kitchen, waving the vacuum cleaner wand in the air, and hoping to vacuum up the dust bunnies from under the living room couch.

However running an air cleaner (HEPA-rated) inside of a modest to small-sized *closed* room may drop the particle level within that space.

On 2016-04-03 by Patrick - use an area air filter?

I'm considering purchasing one of those area air filtration machines. Something I can just plug in and sit in our living room, perhaps it can help improve indoor air quality and keep any Fiberglass particles that are getting released to a minimum during clean up.

In your opinion, do these machines work and are they worth investing in? If so, what should I be looking for when I look to purchase one? Thanks

On 2016-04-02 by (mod) -

Glad to assist, Patrick. Working together makes us smarter.

I might add that in any building where there has been a high level of troublesome dust, one might need to clean more than once, as the smaller particles, especially down in the 1u range, stay airborne a long time and settle out of the air more slowly.

A couple of extra damp-wipes or HEPA vacs will help. And in my OPINION If you live with wall wall carpeting, it is much more difficult to get the airborne dust and debris levels as low as with hard surfaced floors.

On 2016-04-02 by Patrick - nosebleeds,cough, health issues, led to discovery of fibreglass & quitting job

Thank you for your reply, makes me feel better knowing I'm on the right track. I was having health issues, which is part of the reason I ended up discovering all the fiberglass and leaving my job.

I was getting frequent nose bleeds, had a persistent cough, a lot of mucus production in my nose and throat, and I also had red irritated feet which I now believe could have been caused by all the fibers in my socks, especially my work socks and boots.

After moving, all of this cleared up relatively quickly but the cleaning and being in a new place that I desperately want to keep safe and clean has lead me to become very anxious when I start seeing fibers that I've missed

On 2016-04-02 by (mod) -

I agree that HEPA vacuuming to clean your "stuff" sounds sensible. It's not reasonable to attempt to remove every fiberglass fragment from a building - I find some fiberglass in most dust samples.

If you don't have a medical complaint and your doctor doesn't see a concern for your health, any remaining concern you have is probably coming from somewhere else.

Try not to panic: the anxiety itself is unhealthy and it makes you vulnerable to paying for expensive, probably un-justified "expert" inspections, tests, cleaning.

Clean your stuff, clean the area, and don't be frightened that there may be a few fiberglass fragments stuck in a baseboard crevice.

On 2016-04-02 1 by Patrick

House got contaminated bad with fiberglass from my now ex job. Moved to a new place. Stuff has been in the basement as I clean it out slowly. Been HEPA vacuuming and wiping stuff down. Fibers range from an inch long down to a mm.

Likely some < 3micron particles too thanks to power tools having been used. fibers had spread literally everywhere and on every surface of what i own.

i know i'm missing a lot as i clean, because there is so much. i'll frequently find more fibers on areas i've missed. how concerned should i be? really could use some advice. visited doctor and he had never heard of this happening before but chest x-ray turned up normal.>

On 2016-03-06 by (mod) - fiberglass dust from tub repair

Chelsea

If the repair person sanded or ground the old tub surface or base or used a power saw there may indeed be plastic and fiberglass dust.

I'd suggest borrowing or renting a HEPA rated vacuum cleaner to clean up the mess.

On 2016-03-06 by Chelsea Archer

My landlord sent a guy to repair our tub, which was cracked. He did a great job, rebuilt the entire base, and told me not to use it for 24 hours.

A few hours after the repair, I went to do laundry and have noticed the ENTIRE bathroom and all of my items in the bathroom (he never said I needed to move anything) are covered in a fine white powder. Is this fiberglass? What should I do?

Question: device for proving clothing is contaminated with fiberglass

I wish there was a device for seeing & proving clothing is contaminated with fibreglass. - 8/7/11

Reply: economical, free, or cheap stand-alone "device" specifically to test clothing for fiberglass

Stu,

Because sampling and microscopic examination are needed, I don't foresee an economical, free, or cheap stand-alone "device" specifically to test clothing for fiberglass contamination.

But testing clothing for fiberglass is easy, something I've done for a number of insurance claims and other cases: we use a vacuum cassette and pump to sample the fabrics, followed by a microscopic examination of the sample for dominant particle types.

Testing fabrics, clothing, drapes, carpets, upholstery for high levels of fiberglass particles and for small (irritating) fiberglass fragments is technically easy using a combination of vacuum sampling cassette and forensic microscopy. But in my OPINION such testing is not justified without good reason.

However, for most cases, because clothing can usually be laundered or dry cleaned, it makes equal or even more sense to spend your money on cleaning the clothes rather than testing them. Even in cases of high levels of fiberglass exposure, double laundering or dry cleaning has in my experience proven quite effective.

I've examined cotton denim fabric (blue jeans) after working on installing fiberglass building insulation in a dusty environment, and after the clothes were laundered twice. The remaining fiberglass particles were in the incidental range after cleaning.

Question: Is there any way that I can tell if the apartment is safe?

Just renting an apartment, but may want to raise kids in it. Is there any way that I can tell if the apartment is safe? - Jon 11/28/11

PS- See comment below - Is in what would be the attic, floorboards don't have any sealant between them so is why I'm a bit worried.

Reply:

Jon,

You could hire a professional home inspector to examine your home, asking him/her to concentrate on safety issues and concerns. I wouldn't start my worry list with fiberglass when there may be trip and fall hazards etc. at a building. Start with fixing items of highest risk.

Question: a turbine vent on the roof has me worried that it's contaminating my sleeping area

Hi! I installed one of those rotating air vents which suck the air out of the roof cavity into the roof space some time ago. The composition of the roof is "wooden coverings > insulation layer (grey) > glass fiber (or so I think it is - a yellow wooly stuff like the one in your very first picture all the way on the left).

The roof itself is thin - 20-30 cm or so, so we sleep in a room directly under that vent (i.e. the vent is about 30 cm higher than the top of the roof which we can touch from the inside).

I had to open up the grey insulation layer and remove some of the yellow wooly stuff when I installed the fan.

Though I sealed the roof itself (corrugated iron), I did not seal much around the fiberglass, though I put it somewhat out of the way around the area in between the actual rotating roof vent and the roof vent (in the wood).

So basically it is now like this: wood (with plastic roof vent) > open area of about 20-30cm height which contains the yellow wooly stuff and the opened up insulation later, both these starting about 5-10cm inwards > the actual roof vent/corrugated roof. IOW,

I assume it is quite possible for fibers to dislodge from the yellow stuff and to enter through the plastic vent. We have a newborn sleeping upstairs, so I am concerned now that I have been looking more into this all.

Another thing is that the wood (which is basically the whole roof of our bedroom) also has tiny holes.

I guess this is not much of a concern since the grey insulation layer is still on top of it (I think, I have to go back onto the roof and see if the grey insulation is actually on top of the wood - presumably so - or on top of the yellow stuff).

In any case, the vent concerns me now more than ever. What should I do? I have been thinking about getting some thin aluminum or so and making the roof vent tunnel complete (all the way to the wood - about 20-30cm) and sealing it up with silicon etc. Please advice, bit scared. - Anthony 12/20/11

Reply:

Anthony I'm sorry but I don't quite understand exactly the question nor situation you describe. Normally a roof vent or turbine vent as you describe pulls air (and thus any dust within the air) out of a roof cavity or attic, it doesn't send it backwards into the occupied space. Maybe a sketch or photo would help us understand what you're seeing.

Question: I cough when the forced air heat/cooling system runs; my boss has developed a lung condition.

I work for thomas brothers office furnishings. the building was built in 1883, so its has many issues. What concerns me is the forced air system. when it cycles, i and others have coughing fits.

Recently my boss who has shared the same air as me for for the last 10 years now has a lung condition.

He will either die from it or he will have to have a lung transplant. so of course now I'm worried. he's always said it was just dust. I've ask to be moved to another area of the building, but he said i d have to do it on my own time, that's ok with me but he won t move the phone or internet. So i really couldn't work there.

I would like to have this checked out. in a way that wouldn't cost me my job. I think the insulation in the duct work is breaking down and blowing out small flakes that we are breathing.

Also i ask to wear a dust mask. My boss really got mad and would not let me wear it. Also i ve told him of my concerns he just thinks i m causing trouble. Also he is selling the building he s had it for 25 years. i can send a sample of the stuff in the duct work. what can i or should i do - Mike 1/23/12

Reply:

Mike,

Some of your questions such as wearing a respirator and possible unsafe or unhealthy conditions in the workplace are topics that would better be addressed by an OSHA representative, a union rep, or an attorney with appropriate expertise. From the nature of your question it sounds to me as if you should pursue those sources of help.

Dust of a variety of compositions can be a respiratory irritant at sufficient levels and of course some dust may contain more harmful or dangerous particles. T

o accurately assess the health of the workplace would require inspection and testing by a qualified expert. But sometimes even an amateur dust sample, such as a tape sample of settled dust collected from a recently-cleaned surface in the work area can give credible evidence of a possible or even probable problem.

Such tests as a rough, inexpert screening procedure are nto something I recommend as a normal thing to do - lest we waste people's time and money, but if you have reason to be particularly worried about your environment that might be a low-key and low-cost place to start.

Question: what should I do about my clothes exposed to fiberglass in my A/C closet?

I live in an apartment. Recently I found exposed yellow fiberglass insulation in my A/C closet.

For about 1 1/2 months I have been uncomfortable. Itching, burning skin and finding particals embedded in my skin an bleeding and sores on my skin. I've had to soak in epson salts and hydrogen peroxide to calm my skin. I'm concerned about this apt being a safe and healthy environment.

Should I just move, or is there a remedy to make this environment livable? - Carolyn 9/22/12

Reply:

Carolyn,

Presuming you're talking about a LOT of exposed fiberglass insulation are that your clothes were actually contacting, (a few inches of exposed insulation is not likely to explain your complaints) then the clothes can be laundered or drycleaned.

IN addition to cleaning clothing that may have gotten fiberglass insulation dust on it, it would make sense to cover exposed insulation - usually a closet is finished in drywall; temporarily you could even have someone staple up housewrap or plastic.

The steps you take to calm your skin might not in the long run be helping - that complaint and its solution are something to discuss with your doctor or with a referral to a dermatologist. You might also ask your doctor to evaluate whether or not you're suffering from Morgellon's disease.

Question: reader confusion about fiberglass exposure hazards, rock wool hazards, mineral wool hazards, coal dust & other hazards found in building attics

In 1964 I worked in a rock-wool insulation manufacturing plant, it was common knowledge amongst the workers then that the product was highly dangerous e.g lung cancer, stomach cancers and major chest disease, 50 years late all my fears have come true, proven in part by the fact a large majority of my old workmates are now dead long, and you can guess the cause.

FIBREGLASS has been laid in multi-millions of roofs, and you can state without any exaggeration that domestic lofts and attics are the next multi-billion dollar clean-up-zone, or cover it up clean up zone. The US Govet said it was carcinogenic, and how right they are. E.W., Leeds, England 14 September 2013, Insulation background including sales.

Reply:

Thank you for sharing your view - I agree in part - that there can be fiberglass hazards in air, but not completely with your statement; it seems to me that there are many situations in which the fiberglass is undamaged and presents chiefly large particles that studies have shown are much less hazardous than asbestos.

What I have found in my own lab and field research is that there may be small particles even in the 1-micron range that at high levels in air may indeed be a health hazard;

it appears to me that many researchers and labs simply don't use methods that will accurately detect much less report such particles - special measures are needed to find them; in other words, you don't see what you're not looking for.

I've published some notes on this matter at

FIBERGLASS DETECTION in BUILDING AIR & DUST - about finding small particles

FIBERGLASS FRAGMENT HAZARDS in AIR or DUST

FIBERGLASS HVAC DUCTS

FIBERGLASS HAZARDS

and would welcome any further comment you might offer.

Reader Follow-up: fiberglass hazards in English lofts with tile roofs

I have been in thousands of English lofts with tile roofs, these places were always dusty because about 50% of English homes still do not have a roofing felt under the tiles. Before 1955 the builders cemented the tile joints with a dab of cement to close them k.as 'sarking' ,

after 30 years this cement fell away from the tiles leaving the loft or attic space open to the weather especially the wind, blown snow and blown rain, and birds.

The worst hazard for fibreglass layers was caused by the lack of a house under-tile roofing felt which allowed smoke DUST k/as 'soot' to enter the loft from adjoining homes British coal fires, this was a black/grey soot / dust which 'smelled' and was laid everywhere in the roof space to an average depth of 1/2 inch, caused because during the UK house building period 1800 - 1955 no roofing felt was fitted.

From 1960 onwards just 1 inch of fibreglass insulation was laid between the joists, Rockwool was laid also but had less than 8% share of the market, Pilkington Brothers Fibreglass dominated the market, most English roofs have been insulated twice, because

he Government brought out a free insulation scheme in 1966, called the top-up-scheme, by laying it again on top of the existing insulation, which was walked on, re-handled, moved and collapsed into glass fibre dust, if the roof had a roofing felt this soot and dust was contained inside the loft space, but if no roofing felt was fitted this dust was picked up by the wind inside the loft, and blown around the loft, and outside under the tile gaps - to drift everywhere, (we are talking about UK 20 million homes here)

In areas in England were they use a red tile called a 'Pantile', you can often see small birds flying under the tiles to get inside the loft or roof space without slowing down, and when you are inside the loft you can often look down onto the street below and watch whats happening there,

whats strange is these property owners insist their roof is sound, and very few know the tiles contain quite sizable gaps, and the heat loss is substantial.

A QUESTION I have often asked myself is 'Does Roof Insulation work?

I say it does not, that it's density is minimal, and if held up to the light you can see it cannot do much good. It's a myth. Heat rises through loft insulation and continues on it's way outside the home, and retaining it is an impossible job

If insulation retains heat then why doe sit always feel cold inside a loft space, and if you lift the insulation and place your hand on the ceiling below it feel no different to ant other wall or ceiling in the house, the ceiling is cold and not warm?

Reply:

It sounds as if there were other air quality hazards in the spaces you described - coal dust, other dust, and where a roof leaked, perhaps mould contamination as well

Combining the long history you describe, dating back more than fifty years, and the age of the population involved, and the combination of particles to which you and co-workers were exposed, it would be a bit of a stretch to presume that the health hazards sufferd by some were due to fiberglass, particularly as

1. You describe working with mineral wool, not fiberglass - they are different materials.
   
   See INSULATION IDENTIFICATION GUIDE and see MINERAL WOOL - ROCK WOOL INSULATION
2. Coal dust and even possibly mold in damp attics are other respiratory hazards common in the environments you describe
3. Insulation is by no means a myth. If it feels cold in a loft space you are probably working on the outside of the building insulated envelope.
   
   There is absolutely no question about whether or not insulation "works" - properly installed it does, as has been amply demonstrated by countless heat loss and temperature studies in buildings. In your own U.K. The Energy Savings Trust estimates that loft insulation alone can reduce home energy bills by an average of £180 a year [7] .
   
   The principle by which fiber type insulations (rock wool or fiberglass) work is that of trapping air - so it is not a mistake to be able to see light through a thin section of insulation; if there were no trapped air the insulation would be much less effective.
   
   But you are quite correct that if insulation is not properly installed, that is if there are air leaks through the building, it will be ineffective.
4. Some current sources of information about "free insulation" programs offered in the U.K. include
   1. British Gas offers a free building insulation program described as follows: - http://www.britishgas.co.uk
      
      The Energy Companies Obligation (ECO) is the Government target given to all large energy providers to reduce carbon emissions by improving the energy efficiency of homes in Britain. It is the largest initiative of its kind and we are doing more to support people in need in Britain than any other energy supplier.
      ...
      So far this year we have committed to invest £300m to make homes warmer in towns and cities up and down the country.
      
      We are looking to invest over £1bn to help make hundreds of thousands of homes across the UK warmer and more energy efficient under the ECO scheme, and we are also doing more for customers on low incomes who are currently struggling the most. Watch the video to see how people have benefited so far.
      
      With £1 in every £4 spent on heating wasted due to poor insulation, energy efficiency is the best and quickest way to cut bills. Insulating your home will stop money being wasted on your energy bills.
      
      Depending on who you are, where you live or the type of property you live in, you could be eligible for free[1] or part funded cavity or loft insulation.
   2. Loft Lagger describes 50% grants covering the cost of retrofit loft insulation - http://www.loftinsulationgrants.org.uk/

Question: really scared about a fib erglass panel

(Sept 20, 2014) Mary Christian said:

There is fiber glass and panel in my daughter room which she share with her baby now I have made several
complaints about this throughout the years and nothing has been done yet. I've even called the housing inspectors

We are also suffering from mold and debris I'm waiting for the department of health to come but how long will that take my families health are in danger I have already developed sleep apnea and I'm so scared

please contact me at divaluv00732@yahoo.com

I'm asking for all the help I can get

Reply:

Mary, at the top of this page near the right side of the blue area, click on EXPERTS DIRECTORY to find the help you need.

Watch out: your fear may be understandable emotionally but may not at all be justified, and it's entirely likely that the level of airborne fibers of any size that can be traced to an intact fiberglass panel is below the limits of detection.

Don't let focus on this item that has scared you lead you to miss more immediate and more likely hazards such as failure to properly install smoke detectors, carbon monoxide detectors, handrails on stairs, and the failure to buckle your seatbelt.

It may make the most sense to ask your health department or building inspector for a general inspection for obvious health and safety hazards in the home.

Question: fiberglass dust got in my house through a hole

(Dec 22, 2014) Dj said:
Fiberglass dust got in my house through a couple of hole in the kitchen that got upset after stuffing newspaper in the wall to keep out any unwanted pest

. Now it seem to be everywhere in the house and on everything. My is wife is really mad. How can I fix this? I have been looking for some company to clean it out but can't find one other than a maid service. And they don't work with fiberglass. help

Reply:

DJ

If there is actual visible fiberglass or other insulation dust in the home,

Find and fix the fiberglass source;

HEPA Vacuum, damp wipe, dust all surfaces.

Question: is it possible to get lung cancer from inhaling fiberglass particles during a house fire?

suze dunbar said:

is it possible to get lung cancer from inhaling fiberglass particles during a hvac related house fire where black smoke came thru indoor vents this happen to my mom and tests did show findings of glass in her lungs

many health issues followed she had no cancers before the fire but had tests that showed cancer forming about a year or so later please give me any info helpful in showing how this happens from smoke inhalation of this type thank you 301 290 1745 email donnyd2525@gmail.com

Reply:

No, ande maybe.

Particulate hazards (if we ignore for a moment the toxic chemicals and carcinogens typically released during a building fire) depend on quite a few variables including individual health and genetics, exposure level, exposure duration, and particle size.

Some fiberglass hazard studies, particularly focusing on larger fiberglass particle sizes don't support a carcinogenicity claim but in my own field and lab work I sometimes (depending on still another set of site-specific variables such as mechanical damage) find very small glass fragments from damaged fiberglass.

 

Question: dust and fiberglass concerns after Hurricane Sandi

(June 2, 2015) AJ said:
after hurricane sandi, the cover on my attic fan was ripped off and leaking onto the pink fiberglass batts went on for awhile inknown to me since No one was using that room. The batts grew black mold and were removed.

After that, significant and ongoing heavy dust in my house with a pink tinge has been a problem. It seems to be connected with running the forced air heat. I HVAC dust like a maniac and run the HVAC air cleaners.

This past winter I used only space heaters (brrrr, especially since I have never reinstalled insulation as the mold smell continues). I got rid of most of the pink dust but it seems to be making a comeback with the air conditioning. Pets and I are all unwell. Suggestions?

Reply:

AJ you might want a forensic lab to look at your dust, identify the dominant particles, and from that you may have a clue about where your dust originates.

If you removed all exposed insulation and HEPA vacuumed and cleaned the building I'd figure either the dust is not predominantly fiberglass fragments or you've missed a reservoir of damaged insulation that is also in the building air movement path.

(July 12, 2015) AJ said:
Thank you, (mod) ! Just a week or so after I posted, I noticed new stains forming on my bedroom ceiling in the same location as before,

The roof repairman told me the shingles were installed the wrong way and the roof has been leaking since it was installed (fall of 2011).

The pink dust is still in the air. I will get in the mold remediators and have the dust tested. I don't believe they HEPA vacuumed in the attic when they took the batts out, and the vents circulate through there so something may have sucked into the vents as well.

I have had significant symptoms, and my son, too when he visits. Ringing ears, blurry vision, aching joints, and Inhave had severe depression, memory problems, weight loss (30 pounds) and weakness, even tremors. Could this be from breathing fiberglass dust or mold?

Reply:

Aj

That question must be posed to your doctor first.

 

Question: hazards of working with fiberclass canoes

(Nov 20, 2015) Jack said:

My Aunt works with Fiberglass building canoes and her vehicles, clothes, and a lot of her house has these shiny glass-like fibers. Some large, some very small. Every time she visits me, I find these fibers on my furniture etc. How dangerous is this? Should I be concerned? Thanks

Reply:

Large fibers may cause skin irritation but are not easily breathed deeply into the lung. I believe that the fiberglass studies that found no hazard were perhaps focused on such large particles.

Very small fragments, breathed in quantity, might be harmful. An objective quantitative measure of risk is not something we could guess.

In FIBERGLASS HAZARDS we include standards and research about boatbuilding hazards associated with both fiberglass and styrene including Yacht-makers' lung disease.

Question: fiberglass hazards at work - from insulation

(Dec 13, 2015) mark said:
I have exposed fiber glass insulation hanging from my ceiling at work app. 500 square feet can see it in the air

Reply:

Mark,

Please see the OSHA and Canadian discussion in the article FIBERGLASS HAZARDS.

 

 

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