What you need to know about the hazards involved in buying and selling asbestos-containing products on eBay. This Guide will tell about the health risks associated with asbestos, the proper way to convey the potential hazard to buyers and recommended handling and packaging techniques.

THE DISCLAIMER

This is an international market place were sellers and their buyers may be govern by different regulations, the information I am providing is factual and practical and it is intended to be guidelines for safe handling of a known hazardous material. However, this document may not be in compliance with your local or national regulations please refer to those laws and regulations that may apply to you for the shipping and handling of an asbestos product. Please note the material that most of us are handling is consider to be either a asbestos-containing product or an asbestos mineral the regulations, if any, are most likely different than those for an asbestos-containing waste material.

THE WARNING

Many asbestos products are being manufactured and sold even today, one example is automotive brake shoes. For the most part these now come with warning labels and information on the properly handling of the material. These items are new and because of laws and regulations in certain countries these items are required to display such warnings.

The problem with historical asbestos products and actual asbestos minerals is that the hazard is often not conveyed to the buyer. If the seller is aware that the material contains asbestos or in some cases is asbestos they may not be regulatorly responsible to convey the hazard but they should be morally responsible.

A simple warning I use is as follows:

Warning: This material contains asbestos and asbestos exposure can cause asbestos-related illness. This item will be shipped wrapped in plastic.

EXAMPLES OF DIFFERENT LABELING

THE HAZARD

There is much historical and medical data that supports the fact that asbestos exposure results in asbestos-related illnesses. To what extent are we exposed and how much exposure is necessary is where the debate begins. I teach exposure prevention when dealing with asbestos. If you can prevent or limit your exposure then you reduce the hazard no matter what science or politics may dictate the safe level to be.

Asbestos is a naturally occuring mineral that is fibrous by nature. The mineral itself and the products that are made of asbestos have a tendency to release fibers into the air. Many of these fibers are microscopic in nature and can be easily breathed in or ingested. It is these microscopic fibers that result in asbestos related illness such as asbestosis, mesothelioma and lung cancer.

From the Washington State Department of Labor and Industries Training Courses - Asbestos, Properties of, Health Effects and WISHA Rules  

Asbestos exposure has a long latency period. You could be exposed today and not have an asbestos-related illness until 20-40 years later. This often makes the need for prevention and protection a little more difficult to convey.

RECOGNITION

If you know you have an asbestos containing product or asbestos mineral then the recognition part is half over. Why half over? Because there are degrees of friability (as defined by US EPA, the ability to be crumbled by hand pressure when dry) to an asbestos item.

Something like an asbestos-containing vinyl floor tile, asbestos and asphalt roofing shingle or an asbestos-cement siding has the asbestos fibers bound in its matrix of vinyl, asphalt and cement and only aggressive measures could release those fibers. However, some materials are friable such as asbestos artificial snow, stove wicks, or actual fibrous asbestos minerals and these items may release fibers simply by the mere handling of the item.

EXAMPLES OF FRIABLE ASBESTOS

If you do not know whether an item is or contains asbestos then there are laboratory microscopical techniques for the identification of asbestos. The most common is Polarized Light Microscopy. There is no tried and true field technique for the analysis for asbestos so if you can not or do not have the material analyzed that you should assume that material is or contains asbestos. 

PREPPING AN ASBESTOS SAMPLE FOR ANALYSIS

HANDLING & PREVENTION

Any asbestos-containing product or asbestos mineral no matter how non-friable has a potential to release fibers especially if it is damaged during shipment. This is why I recomended, and post in my sales, that the item be shipped wrapped in plastic.

Limit your handling, for you as a seller and depending on the type and condition of the material, the number of times you handle an item the greater your potential for exposure. The item may need to be handled for photographing purposes but after that wrap it in plastic for shipping.

As a buyer, well with the hazard properly conveyed to and the item properly packaged, it truly is your choice as to how you handle the item upon receipt.

For both the buyer and seller the following items or techniques can assist in your handling of asbestos:

1. Use water or wet methods when handling asbestos especially if it is friable asbestos.
2. Immediately clean up any debris resulting from your handling of the item. DO NOT use a household vacuum. Use a disposable towel and water to clean up any debris. Even better use a vacuum designed with a High Efficiency Particulate Air or HEPA filter that is designed to filter out asbestos particles.
3. Dispose of any debris or discarded items immediately. Do not leave them laying around only to be disturbed later.
4. Use thick plastic when wrapping an item for shipping. Something like a freezer bag thickness or those heavy-duty leaf bags.

EBAY AND POSTAL SHIPPING REQUIREMENTS

Listing of asbestos-containing products on eBay must comply with eBay policy. eBay policy stipulates that packaging and shipping of asbestos-containing material complies with USPS shipping requirements.

USPS Publication 52, Hazardous, Restricted, and Perishable Mail, Section 601 - Mailaibility, 10.20 - Miscellaneous Hazardous Materials (Hazard Class 9) classifies asbestos and lists mailing and labeling requirements (see the onlineDomestic Mail Manual available through the Postal Explorer).

Asbestos items need to be shipped wrapped in plastic and labeled as Class 9 material. This material is mailable through the U.S. Postal Services as a miscellaneous hazardous material that qualifies as an ORM-D material.

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