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, it’s still important to check whether you have any very old Christmas decorations lying around in the attic, perhaps vintage or sentimental pieces that have been passed down through your family’s generations. This is particularly important for very old homes that were built before or during the 1940s.
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 characteristics of chrysotile asbestos differ from 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.
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.
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