ABSTRACT
United States asbestos consumption has been declining for years because of increased restrictions and lawsuits by victims of lung cancer and other diseases. West Germany has complex regulations for the control of asbestos, and a cooperative government/industry program that began in 1981 with the goals of developing substitute materials and eventually phasing out asbestos. A problem in replacing asbestos in building materials relates to fiber strength. “Decontamination area” means an enclosed area adjacent and connected to the regulated area and consisting of an equipment room, shower area, and clean room, which is used for the decontamination of workers, materials, and equipment contaminated with asbestos, tremolite, anthophyllite, or actinolite. Asbestos, tremolite, anthophyllite, and actinolite are used in the manufacture of heat-resistant clothing, automotive brake and clutch linings, and a variety of building materials including floor tiles, roofing felts, ceiling tiles, asbestos-cement pipe and sheet, and fire-resistant drywall.
