Was asbestos used in Christmas decorations? The short answer is, yes! A famous example of this includes fake asbestos snow, which was used by film studios between the 1930s and 1940s and was produced by brands such as ‘White Magic’, ‘Snow Drift’ and ‘Pure White’.
How Dangerous Are Asbestos Christmas Decorations?
The risk of coming across asbestos Christmas decorations nowadays is extremely low, as they were phased out during the 1940s.
However, many people keep their Christmas decorations in the attic for the duration of the year. If your property was built before the year 2000, the insulation in your attic may contain asbestos, which could contaminate your decorations. Widely used between the 1960s and 70s, loose-fill asbestos insulation was one of the most common products used to insulate attics.
If you suspect your property may contain loose-fill asbestos insulation, it is vital you get in touch with licensed asbestos surveyors in order to assess the risk and plan your next steps.
What Were Asbestos Christmas Decorations Made Of?
Artificial asbestos snow was made using the only type of serpentine asbestos – chrysotile (white) asbestos. Characterised by its soft, flexible and curved fibres, chrysotile asbestos was the most commonly used type. It was often used to make floor tiles, asbestos cement sheets/pipes and asbestos insulation boards (AIB asbestos) for the protection of buildings.
The asbestos content in chrysotile asbestos is not as high as its amphibole counterparts (e.g. crocidolite blue asbestos). However, any asbestos-containing material (ACM) has the potential to pose serious health risks.
Chrysotile asbestos has the ability to spread quickly across the environment, which can lead to exposure if its fibres are disturbed.
Some types of loose-fill asbestos insulation were also made using chrysotile asbestos. However, this type of asbestos product is a lot more dangerous, as it was made from 100% pure, loose asbestos. So, the risk of disturbing the asbestos when sampling is high.
That’s why you should never attempt to perform high-risk work with asbestos yourself. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) advises that this should only be handled by licensed professionals.
What Types Of Buildings Do We Provide Asbestos Surveys For?
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If you suspect your attic may contain loose-fill asbestos insulation, get in touch with our licensed asbestos specialists today to get a free, no-obligation quote.
