If you have never undertaken an asbestos survey and you don’t know for sure that the building or house you are using or living in contains asbestos as part of their composition, there still are things you can do to avoid exposure.

On the asbestos.com blog, Michelle Whitmer gives 4 tips to help you avoid exposure.

These reasons are as follows:

1. Don’t mess with loose insulation

If your building was built prior to 1980 it’s very likely to have asbestos hidden in the construction materials. The most likely location would be the insulation because so many forms of insulation before then contained dangerous substances. Asbestos is particularly dangerous when construction materials are loose and the fibres can be disturbed. So when you see some of them loose, we urge you to call for a professional asbestos surveyor to conduct a survey and if deemed necessary have the asbestos removed, again by professionals.

2. Have a mechanic check your car brakes

If you have a new or recent car, you are safe. They are not made with brakes covered in asbestos like old cars are. If you happen to have an old car, call a brake mechanic and have him carefully remove and replace them with non-asbestos containing materials. Never do this yourself, as you may put your health at risk.

3. Pay extra care to pipe wrapping

Just like the loose insulation we mentioned above, pipe wrapping used in homes built before 1980s could contain asbestos. If you notice any damaged wrapping on your pipes – don’t touch it or disturb it in anyway, call a professional to assess the situation

4. Being aware of asbestos deposits

Many countries have asbestos deposits so make sure that you know where these are located and stay away from them. Naturally airborne fibres are just as dangerous as those disturbed in a building. For example take a look at http://www.asbestos.com/states/ to see the high risk areas in the USA.