An estimated 1 million American home attics and/or walls were insulated with vermiculite between the 1940s and 1990s. Most vermiculite contains asbestos, a naturally occurring mineral that carries serious health risks, making it essential to follow established safety requirements when encountering vermiculite. 

Asbestos fibers are very light and can easily be disturbed by moving air (e.g., drafts, wind). Asbestos can remain suspended in the air, where it can be inhaled for up to 3 days. Asbestos exposure can cause lung cancer, asbestosis and/or pleural disease. There is no safe level of asbestos exposure.   

Adding insulation, performing air sealing and operating a blower door are examples of activities that can disturb vermiculite, and if asbestos is present, exposing workers and building occupants to asbestos fibers.  

Oregon OSHA and Washington Department of Labor & Industries both require that employers either have vermiculite tested for asbestos before commencing work or treat all vermiculite as asbestos-containing material (i.e., perform abatement). Both Oregon and Washington require that asbestos sampling be performed by someone who is trained and certified. Contractors may not collect their own samples to determine if workers are potentially at risk of asbestos exposure.   

If asbestos is present in vermiculite, abatement will need to be performed before disturbing it—possibly even if the asbestos content is less than 1%. Performing abatement requires training, state certification and additional insurance coverage.    

Worker safety rules only apply to companies with employees. However, this does not mean that solopreneur businesses are exempt from asbestos-related vermiculite regulations. The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality and the Washington Department of Ecology both administer and enforce regulations applicable to asbestos and vermiculite. Local jurisdictions may also have applicable regulations (e.g., Southwest Clean Air Agency in Southwest Washington). Contractors with no employees should check with all applicable agencies before sampling or disturbing vermiculite.    

Bottom line: When vermiculite is present in work areas, the only way to know whether asbestos is also present is to have the vermiculite tested by a certified professional before beginning work. If the vermiculite contains asbestos, abatement should be completed by a certified abatement company before performing any work that disturbs the vermiculite. 

For more information on vermiculite, check out this EPA page.

If you have questions, call Oregon OSHA at 503.378.3272, Washington Department of Labor & Industries at 360.902.5800 or Southwest Clean Air Agency at 360.574.3058.