Do you know?

10 questions about asbestos and slate. You will see the explanation straight after each answer. Nothing is saved.

01 When is an old slate roof most dangerous? On a hot summer’s day When it is broken, sawn, drilled or crumbling When it is raining on it It is always equally dangerous

Intact, undisturbed slate releases no significant amount of fibres into the air. The risk arises when the material is damaged.

02 What kind of respirator do you need when removing slate? A medical mask A cloth mask A respirator with a P3 (FFP3) filter A scarf will do

Asbestos fibres are extremely fine. You need a respirator with a P3-class filter (or FFP3), and it must fit tightly to your face. A respirator does not seal well over a beard.

03 What should you do to slate before removing it? Clean it with a pressure washer Wet it with water Scrub it with a wire brush Nothing

Wet fibres do not rise into the air. A pressure washer or brush erodes the surface and scatters fibres.

04 Where may old slate be disposed of? In a construction waste skip At a landfill with a VVD permit to accept asbestos With household waste Buried in your own garden

Slate is hazardous waste. It is accepted only by landfills holding a permit from the State Environmental Service.

05 How long can it take from exposure to asbestos until mesothelioma develops? 1–2 years 5 years Usually 30–40 years or more The disease starts immediately

Asbestos-related diseases have a very long latency period. Mesothelioma usually appears 30–40 years after exposure, sometimes even later.

06 How does smoking affect the lung cancer risk of someone who has worked with asbestos? It has no effect The risk becomes many times higher It reduces the risk It only affects women

Asbestos and smoking multiply the risk of lung cancer: in workers exposed to asbestos, smoking increases it 9–10 times. Giving up smoking reduces this risk.

07 What is the occupational exposure limit for asbestos in workplace air (8-hour average) since 21 December 2025? 1 fibre/cm³ 0.1 fibres/cm³ 0.01 fibres/cm³ There is no limit

EU Directive 2023/2668 cut the occupational exposure limit tenfold: from 0.1 to 0.01 fibres/cm³. In Latvia it has been transposed into Cabinet Regulation No. 852. The limit is not a “safe level”.

08 What should you do if you find dumped slate in a forest? Collect it and take it away yourself Take a photo and report it to the VVD (“Vides SOS”) Bury it Burn it

Do not touch it. Report it to the State Environmental Service in the “Vides SOS” app or by phone on +371 26338800.

09 Which type of asbestos is “safe”? White (chrysotile) Blue (crocidolite) Brown (amosite) None: all are carcinogenic

According to the IARC, all types of asbestos cause cancer. That includes white asbestos, which was used in slate.

10 Roughly how much slate is still on the roofs of Latvian buildings? ~1,000 tonnes ~100,000 tonnes ~1 million tonnes None any more

According to the Ministry of Climate and Energy (2025), around one million tonnes of asbestos-containing slate are still on Latvian roofs.

An educational portal on asbestos in Latvia. No advertising.
Created in cooperation with the Laboratory of Hygiene and Occupational Diseases of Rīga Stradiņš University and Asbestos Lab.

Topics Slate roofs What is asbestos Health Workplace safety

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