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FAQs About Mineral Wool (Rock and Slag Wool) Insulation
What are the major uses for rock and slag wool insulations?
What are the benefits of rock and slag wool insulations?
Are rock and slag wool insulation products safe to use?
What does the research show about the health and safety of rock and slag wool?
Do rock or slag wools cause cancer in people?
Do rock and slag wool fibers contribute to problems with indoor air quality?
Are there any special handling guidelines for working with rock and slag wool?
What are the major uses for rock and slag wool insulations?
The physical and chemical properties of mineral wool insulation, also known as rock and slag wool, are major factors in their utility. Because the fibers are non-combustible and have melting temperatures in excess of 1800-2000º F, they are used to prevent the spread of fire. As a primary constituent of ceiling tile and sprayed fire proofing, rock and slag wool products supply fire protection, as well as sound control and attenuation.
The excellent thermal resistance of these wools is a major factor in their use as residential and commercial insulation, pipe and process insulation, insulation for ships, mobile homes, domestic cooking appliances, and a wide variety of other applications. In addition, the use of rock and slag wool as a horticultural growing medium has increased in recent years.
What are the benefits of rock and slag wool insulations?
Rock and slag wool insulation products play a significant energy-savings role by reducing energy use in homes, office buildings, businesses and manufacturing plants. Insulating to proper economically efficient levels helps our homes and businesses use substantially less energy. According to a 1996 report on the energy, environmental and economic benefits of fiber glass, rock wool and slag wool insulations, conducted jointly by the Alliance to Save Energy and Energy Conservation Management, insulation produced each year saves about 400 trillion Btu annually, or more than 12 times the energy used to manufacture insulation.
The report, entitled "Green and Competitive" found the insulation currently in place in residential buildings throughout the United Sates could help cut residential energy bills by 40 percent. The energy savings from insulation also help the environment. By reducing the energy needed to heat and cool homes and commercial buildings, installed fiber glass and mineral wool insulation in U.S. buildings helps prevent the emission of over 1.56 trillion pounds of carbon dioxide annually. The report goes on to say that if all residential buildings were insulated up to the latest version of the International Model Energy Code (IMEC), another 1.9 quadrillion Btu of energy could be saved and another 249 billion pounds of carbon dioxide emissions avoided annually.
Are rock and slag wool insulation products safe to use?
As with any product capable of producing airborne dust, concerns regarding the health and safety effects of rock and slag wool are understandable. However, few materials have been studied as extensively as mineral wool. The weight of scientific research confirms that these materials are safe to manufacture, install and use when manufacturers' recommended work practices are followed.
Health and safety research on rock and slag wool has been ongoing for nearly 70 years. NAIMA member companies have invested tens of millions of dollars in research projects with leading independent laboratories and universities in the United States and abroad. This research has been designed to investigate the possible human health effects of rock and slag wool as well as other MMVFs.
For a complete review of the health and safety information on rock and slag wool, click on NAIMA's Commitment to Safety or visit the NAIMA Literature Library Health and Safety Publications section for research on rock and slag wool.
What does the research show about the health and safety of rock and slag wool?
The health aspects and safe use of mineral wools have been examined for nearly 70 years. NAIMA and its member companies have invested tens of millions of dollars in research projects - with leading independent laboratories and universities in the United States and abroad - to investigate the possible human health effects of rock and slag wool as well as other synthetic vitreous fibers (SVFs), such as fiber glass.
Industry studies, as well as studies by governments and others, have examined the following:
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Airborne levels of rock and slag wool fibers during their manufacture, installation and use; |
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The health of more than 13,000 current and former workers engaged in the manufacture of rock and slag wool in the United States and Europe; and |
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The effects of rock and slag wool on laboratory animals. |
Findings from all types of studies have been consistent. Airborne levels of respirable rock and slag wool fibers have been demonstrated to be very low, less than one fiber per cubic centimeter of air (1 f/cc) in most instances. Studies among workers have demonstrated no consistent association between lung cancer or non-malignant respiratory disease and occupational exposure to rock and slag wool.
For more details on recent scientific studies on the health aspects of rock and slag wool insulation, visit the Research section of this site or visit the NAIMA Literature Library for a complete listing of health and safety literature.
Do rock or slag wools cause cancer in people?
Studies examining possible health effects and safe use of mineral wools have found no consistent association between exposure to rock and slag wool and respiratory disease or cancer in humans. The weight of the scientific evidence confirms that rock and slag wool are safe to manufacture, install and use when manufacturers' recommended work practices are followed.
In October 2001, an international expert review by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) re-evaluated the 1988 IARC assessment of glass fibers and removed glass, rock and slag wool fibers from its list of substances "possibly carcinogenic to humans." All fiber glass and rock and slag wools that are commonly used for thermal and acoustical insulation are now considered not classifiable as to carcinogenicity to humans (Group 3). IARC noted specifically: "Epidemilogic studies published during the 15 years since the previous IARC Monographs review of these fibers in 1988 provide no evidence of increased risks of lung cancer or mesothelioma (cancer of the lining of the body cavities) from occupational exposures during manufacture of these materials, and inadequate evidence overall of any cancer risk." The IARC downgrade is consistent with the conclusion reached by the U.S. National Academy of Sciences, which in 2000 found “no significant association between fiber exposure and lung cancer or nonmalignant respiratory disease in the MVF [man-made vitreous fiber] manufacturing environment.”
Do rock and slag wool fibers contribute to problems with indoor air quality?
Rock and Slag wool fibers actually improve the indoor environment by controlling heat loss or gain while reducing condensation and also providing acoustical insulation. Once rock or slag wool products are installed, no significant fiber release occurs.
The majority of airborne fiber levels in buildings containing one or more rock and/or slag wool products are very low, generally less than 0.001 f/cc. In fact, in 1990 the World Health Organization's Working Group on Indoor Air Quality reviewed all scientific studies and concluded: "Current airborne man-made mineral fiber concentrations in indoor environments are considered to represent an insignificant risk."
See also the related publication - Facts #63: Health and Safety Facts for Rock and slag Wool: 
PDF || Order printed copies from Literature Library (N041)
Are there any special handling guidelines for working with rock and slag wool?
If sufficient amounts of rock and slag wool are released into the air during manufacture and handling, some workers may experience temporary upper respiratory irritation. Like skin irritation, upper respiratory irritation is a "mechanical" irritation to the fibers. The irritation will subside once the exposure is discontinued. Some people are more sensitive, some less, some not at all. Manufacturers of rock and slag wool products have recommended a number of safety measures designed to minimize any potential irritation.
Rock and slag wool manufacturers have put together work practices that provide practical safety measures designed to minimize any potential irritation. Click here to see these Work Practices. In all cases, however, manufacturers' specific recommendations as outlined in their Materials Safety Data Sheets (MSDSs) should be consulted.
For Additional Information
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Working Smart with Fiber Glass, Rock Wool and Slag Wool Product - Recommended Work Practices for the Installation of Synthetic Vitreous Fibers (SVF) (N027) |
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Facts #63: Health and Safety Facts for Rock and Slag Wool |
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Play it Smart, Play it Safe (N028) |
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Product Stewardship Program (N052) |
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HSPP - A Voluntary Program Designed to Assure Greater Worker Protection (N030) |
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Visit the NAIMA Literature Library for detailed information on worker protection. |
Where Can I Go For More Information?
For more information on the health and safety of fiber glass and rock and slag wool insulations, click here to find out about NAIMA’s Health and Safety Partnership Program (HSPP). Or, visit NAIMA's Literature Library for a complete list of health and safety publications on this Web site. You may also want to visit our members' Web sites for additional information on fiber glass insulation.