Is asbestos banned for use in products in the US?

When a product or substance poses a threat to the health and safety of consumers, it may be necessary to pull the unsafe materials off the market to protect people. There are many ingredients and materials that have been banned for use in materials, but not all hazardous substances are completely prohibited in the U.S.

For example, despite the known risk factors associated with asbestos, it is not completely banned for use in the United States. Asbestos continues to be used in a variety of products, which means that people continue to be in danger of suffering illnesses caused by exposure to asbestos.

The federal government has taken steps to ban the use of asbestos in a number of products that were once made with the toxic fiber. According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, asbestos cannot be used in the manufacturing of products like various types of paper and some flooring materials. It can also not be used in products that have never been made with asbestos in the past.

However, asbestos can still be used lawfully in a number of other products including vinyl floor tiling, certain automotive parts, coatings for roofs, gaskets, as well as cement pipes, shingles and sheets.

What this means is that asbestos is still a problem for workers in dustries that use these products; it is not just found in old materials, rundown buildings and outdated equipment.

Just because asbestos has not been completely banned in this country does not mean that it is safe. The risks of ingesting or inhaling airborne asbestos particles are well known and exposure could be disastrous for the people in these situations. In some cases, it is possible for these victims to hold accountable those parties who used asbestos improperly or failed to appropriate warn consumers about the risks of exposure.