Safety Bulletin:

New York State Department of Transportation

Subject: Asbestos

Introduction

This Safety Bulletin addresses Department operations involving work with asbestos or materials containing asbestos.

Asbestos is a naturally occurring crystalline mineral fiber composed mainly of iron and magnesium silicates. These fibers can be spun and woven together or mixed directly with concrete and other materials. Qualities that make asbestos fibers so valuable to industry are high tensile strength, flexibility, heat and chemical resistance, light weight, and good frictional properties.