Pipeline: Insulation material: Glass wool / Asbestos

Good evening,

unfortunately, at work we have open pipes with exposed insulation material. The company has existed since 1986. The open lines only caught my attention now, and I cannot assess whether it is harmful insulation material like fiberglass. The boss doesn't want to hear about it and says I should drop it.

Now, I am not an expert either, but I would suspect that this is not okay. Does anyone have experience with this?

Stay calm, everything is fine. This is common insulation of heating pipes with mineral wool, even without cardboard/gypsum casing but wrapped with aluminum-coated plastic of some kind. Guaranteed asbestos-free, it is still done this way today. Sometimes PU casings are used, but mineral wool is also common. Mineral wool is not carcinogenic and can only become harmful (irritation of the respiratory tract) if handled without a mask or without gloves (skin irritation, itching), meaning during installation. When lying or hanging, it does nothing. The opening at the valve must be there – otherwise you can't get to it anymore. Today this is usually done with polystyrene shells suitable for the respective fittings, which can be removed. And where it was cut open, temperature sensors were obviously installed. It was probably temporary at first and then nobody closed it again – but it doesn't harm anyone either.

Stay calm, everything is fine. This is common insulation of heating pipes with mineral wool, even without a cardboard/gypsum jacket but wrapped in aluminum foil laminated with some kind of plastic. Guaranteed asbestos-free, this is still done today. Sometimes PU jackets are used, but mineral wool is also common. Mineral wool is not carcinogenic and can only be harmful (irritation of the respiratory tract) if handled without a mask or gloves (skin irritation, itching), i.e. during installation. When lying/hanging there is no effect. The opening at the valve has to be there – otherwise you can’t get to it anymore. Today this is usually done with polystyrene shells tailored to the respective fitting, which can be removed. And where it was cut open, temperature sensors were obviously installed. It was probably temporary at first and then nobody closed it again – but it doesn’t harm anyone.

Ok, thank you very much! It helps that experienced people look over this. The concern only arose because the company is so old that the old insulation material might have been installed there, which could potentially pose a cancer/health risk.