Cement shingles can be tested or analyzed to detect asbestos

Cement shingles are likely to contain asbestos and should be handled in accordance with MassDEP’s asbestos regulations and this guidance document. It is the obligation of anyone removing materials that contain asbestos to handle them in accordance with applicable laws and regulations. Ignorance or avoidance of this responsibility does not remove this obligation.

If you want to be certain whether cement shingles do or do not contain asbestos, you can have the shingles tested by a certified laboratory. You can hire an asbestos consultant or laboratory to collect a sample and have it analyzed. You also may collect the sample yourself and bring it to a certified laboratory for analysis. Material that contains 1% or more asbestos by area is regulated asbestos-containing material.

Prior to collecting samples, consult with the laboratory on how to properly collect the sample and how large the sample needs to be. The Division of Occupational Safety (DOS) of the Department of Labor certifies asbestos testing laboratories and other types of asbestos professionals.