Clapper, Patti, Schweizer and Mason

The Bernal Heights Library in San Francisco reopened after extensive renovations that included the removal of floor tiles which contained asbestos. The historic building was constructed over seventy years ago, when it was standard for construction materials to contain asbestos.

 

Asbestos is a natural mineral found in the earth that has amazing fire and heat resistant properties. Due to its thermal abilities, easy accessibility and affordability, asbestos was added to thousands of building materials, including floor tiles. Unfortunately, it is now known that exposure to asbestos causes many serious illness, the most serious being mesothelioma. 

 

Mesothelioma is caused when asbestos fibers are inhaled or ingested into the body and become lodged in the lining of the heart, abdomen or lungs. Malignant pleural mesothelioma, which affects the lungs, is the most common form of this disease. All forms of mesothelioma have long latency periods between time of exposure and development of symptoms, making the disease hard to diagnose and treat. Prognosis is usually less than a year.

 

Because of the high risk to worker and public safety, most buildings going through renovations that were built before the 1980’s have to consider removal or safe encapsulation of asbestos containing materials. All work involving asbestos must follow federal and state guidelines for proper management, handling, removal and disposal.

 

The library made the decision to remove the asbestos containing floor tiles and replace them with synthetic rubber floor tiles that matched the pattern and colors of the original, maintaining the look and integrity of the old floor. In fact, the mission of the whole renovation project was to maintain the design and original details while also meeting safety standards and updated building codes.

 

The best thing about removing asbestos contaminated products is that if any future repairs are needed, there is absolutely no risk to anyone’s health and safety is ensured. The library is now open for visits and use.