WorkSafe is aware of several recent incidents that resulted in people being exposed to asbestos where workers have conducted repairs on fire doors containing friable asbestos.
Historically, fire doors were commonly manufactured using asbestos due to its fire resistant property. They are classified as containing friable asbestos and consist of a central core made of either asbestos or compressed asbestos material.
Fire doors are commonly found in areas leading into stairwells and other escape routes of a building and are often between sections of a building identified on evacuation plans. They can be identified by their heavier weight and usually have a compliance tag.
Door coverings may be made from natural material, such as wood, or composite materials, such as veneer, or clad in cement sheeting, and have mastic insulation that looks like a plastic coating or tape. From the top of the door, the asbestos cores often appear white.
Asbestos can be released into the air if the materials are disturbed during maintenance, such as fixing locks, door handles and hinges. New fire doors are labelled asbestos-free. If there is no ‘asbestos-free’ label a fire door should be assumed to contain asbestos.
References and further information
Department of Energy, Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety
WorkSafe
Work Health and Safety Commission
- How to manage and control asbestos in the workplace: Code of practice
- How to safely remove asbestos: Code of practice
Australian Standards
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AS 1905.1 Components for the protection of openings in fire-resistant walls, Part 1: Fire-resistant doorsets
Asbestos and Silica Safety and Eradication Agency
- Asbestos awareness information in the fire safety installation industry
- Asbestos awareness for fire protection trades