BR Banana Van

We are looking to replace some of the exterior ply on our insulated (non-steam heated) BR banana van at the NVR at some point soon. The question is, does anyone know what the insulation comprises of? Through a small hole in the interior skin it appears to be yellowish mineral wool (fibreglass) type insulation similar to what you'd find in an old loft - but is there any chance it could be asbestos based? This might prove to be a silly question, but we don't want to take any risks with it.

Many thanks in advance,

Paul

 

Without seeing it it is hard to tell but anything built on the 50's & 60's is likely to contain it if it acts as insulation. In those days it was used freely for anything and everything as it was cheap, plentiful and fantastic at what it did. no wonder it used to be known as a wonder material before the health issues were known. Be very careful and get expert advice. Getting it on you and your clothes can not only kill you but can harm your family when you bring your overalls home to wash.

 

If it looks like fibreglass it won't be asbestos. Even so you must wear the proper protective gear when handling it. You need disposable overalls with hood, gloves, safety goggles /glasses & a dust mask. Nobody knows what the long term effects are of handling this stuff, but it's bad enough to cause a rash on exposed skin.

Bob.

 

Many thanks for the replies and PM's, we also hope we can get someone at the railway who might be more familiar with the stuff to take a look.

Paul