just say for example you ran over a bit of asbestos panel which jammed into your tyre, broke up, sliced and deflated your tyre. How worried should you be?

very very limited exposure i know but hey I’m a hypochondriac and asbestosis seems like something to genuinely get worried about.

I went to school in the 70’s 80’s schools were made out of asbestos and we used asbestos mats in chemistry and i believe asbestos gloves in metalwork . no worries . the dust from it breaking has to get in your lungs to cause problems.

You’ll be fine, but Id rush your tyre to A&E stat and tell the triage nurse it has had an acute pneumatic failure!

I wouldn’t worry, as above it’s the dust that’s the problem. So (I guess damp) asbestos that you ran over isn’t likely to be a problem.

Given that the men conducting an asbestos survey at my place of work went round the building looking for asbestos by hitting things with a hammer whilst not wearing any ppe I wouldn’t worry too much.

I wouldn’t worry, had you been mining it, or working with it for months on end, then worry.

And if it was damp, then thats how you should transport it anyway – so even less reason to worry!

How worried should you be?

wouldn’t be concerned at all….

however if you worked in conditions with exposure to fibres everyday for 20 years – then yes, you are buggered…

you should be more worried about how much of the stuff that is already floating around the atmosphere – loads of it!

they still mine it and make products with it in other parts of the world believe it or not

That kind of exposure, not a worry at all. Anyway are you sure it was asbestos?

Asbestos fibres in an enclosed space are the big problem – and on shoes, clothing etc. Outdoors in a wet environment not a problem.

Hypochondriac you say eh?

How’s your throat, feeling a bit dry and tickly?

How’s your throat

curry proofed 😉

as a health & safetist I’d echo the comments above about nothing to worry about.

I’d be interested as to why there was an asbestos sheet int he road though

My Dad, (and me on summer holidays) worked in his own garage, blowing asbestos brake dust out of drum brakes every day during services! 40 years and he has had no troubles at all…..

Inhaling one single asbestos fibre can ultimately kill you. But if you do develop an asbestos related illness at any point during your life, it won’t be from running over a bit on your bike.

Not sure it is asbestos looks like those corrugated sheets of it they used iirc for garage roofs. It was offroad, looks like it’s come from over the fence of a scrapyard that backs onto the trail, will be informing council later. I know dust/fibres/inhalation is the problem so broken panel + deflating tyre blasting everything around + heavy breathing from pedalling….
I probably wasn’t going to lose sleep over it but appreciate the “don’t worry”s

Inhaling one single asbestos fibre can ultimately kill you
How’s your throat, feeling a bit dry and tickly?

thanks 😕

What bencooper & jackthe dog said. Wet enviroment not a problem but one fibre can kill you. The danger was known back in the early 1900’s but was still used in gas-masks 😳

Was it a bit of corregated asbestos if yes then its Probs a maximum 15% asbestos.

Wash the tyre down, wash your clothes ( Don’t go into the house! …just kidding ).

If you’re hyperchondriac you’ll be worrying about something else tomorrow anyway. Eat your greens!

There’s quite a bit of asbestos in the environment anyway, what you’ve been exposed to sounds insignificant.

Not sure it is asbestos looks like those corrugated sheets of it they used iirc for garage roofs.

Even people who survey and identify asbestos for a living can’t identify asbestos just by looking at it. Its true that asbestos where its identified needs to be taken seriously, but the generation who were worst effected by asbestos exposure where working in environments where the air was glittering with the stuff all day every day.

but one fibre can kill you

only one cigarette kills you, all the other ones are fine. One fibre getting itself into the right place to kill you kills you, working in an environment where a lot of fibres are about makes that a concern. Casually encountering some fibre is less of one, but you’ll have had chance encounters with countless carcinogens, pathogens and hair-triggered potential murderous psychopaths today, and every day, and so far you’ve been fine.

(But its only a matter of time)

I wouldn’t worry, had you been mining it, or working with it for months on end, then worry.

if you worked in conditions with exposure to fibres everyday for 20 years – then yes, you are buggered…

I don’t know why people still persist with the claim that asbestos is only dangerous if there is exposure to huge amounts of it for a very long periods of time.

The Supreme Court upheld a £240,000 compensation claim by Dianne Willmore who died from malignant mesothelioma in 2009. She didn’t mine the stuff nor was she exposed to it for 20 years.

“While she was a pupil in the 1970s at the newly built Bowring comprehensive school in Knowsley, she was exposed to asbestos on several occasions. Asbestos insulation ceiling tiles had been taken down and stacked in a busy corridor while electricians worked on cables in the ceiling void. Bullies took children’s satchels and blazers and hid them above the ceiling tiles. And there had been vandalism in the girl’s toilets, where asbestos ceiling tiles were also stacked.”

In landmark ruling, Dianne Willmore wins £240,000 posthumously after exposure as a child

In the case of the OP however there is nothing to worry about imo. Even if it was asbestos cement roofing panels, and it might not have been, then you’re only talking about something like 10% asbestos, and the breakage didn’t occur in a confined or poorly ventilated area. Some areas of the world, such as the eastern seaboard of the United States I believe, have fairly high levels of asbestos fibres in the atmosphere, I very much doubt the OP was exposed to much higher concentrations than those living in such areas.

Lost 2 brilliant uncles to asbestosis in the past 3 years. Both worked at Yorkshire Engine Co lagging steam boilers with asbestos. Unfortunately familiar with the circumstances of the disease and the horrible death it causes. My cousin and I pursued the claim against the employer of the most recently deceased uncle for over a year until we got to Tata steel who settled at £60k, they paid up 3 weeks after he died. Still makes me very angry at times. The difference in value will be the damage to the persons remaining life expectancy. How old are you D0NK?

Even people who survey and identify asbestos for a living can’t identify asbestos just by looking at it

where’s your sense of drama man? If I’d started the thread “ran over a mudane bit of building material got a puncture will I die?” would have been a crap read (not that I’m suggesting this is a contender for thread of the week)

Sorry to hear that rogerthecat, I’m 37 pretty sure (hope) the others are right tho, nowt to worry about.

The danger was known back in the early 1900’s but was still used in gas-masks

I’m guessing the risk of death in 30 years’ time was considered less important than the immediate effects of mustard gas and the like, though. Lesser of two evils…