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Mineral wool products are safe to handle, to install and safe to have in a home or office.
Mineral wools (glass wool , stone wool and slag wool) fibres as part of man-made mineral fibres have been under suspicion because of their fibrous shape. Numerous studies (epidemiological studies, animal experiments…) conducted since 40 years at a worldwide scale demonstrated that there is no evidence between cancer and mineral wools. This great range of researches is now a security.
In October 2001 the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) - part of the World Health Organisation - concluded that mineral wool insulation was "not classifiable as to its carcinogenicity to humans" thus revising its classification dated of 1988 from the Group 2B (possibly carcinogenic) to the lighter Group 3 (not classifiable as its carcinogenicity to humans), same category as tea .

This conclusion was based on the fact that epidemiological studies provide no evidence of an increased risk of lung cancer from occupational exposure to glass or stone wool fibres, and that there has been no excess of tumours in long-term inhalation studies.

At European level, mineral wools fibres are exonerated from the carcinogenic classification if they fulfil requirements defined in the European directive 97/69/EC transposed into national regulation. Exoneration criteria refer to the dimensions of the fibres but also to their chemical composition and their bio persistence. This exoneration is regularly checked by the European Certification Board for mineral wool : all ISOVER mineral wool products are EUCEB certified.

During the manufacturing and the installation of wool insulation products dust can be produced, especially when fibres break through mechanical stress (cutting, sawing, milling, crushing or pressing). Most of the particles produced in this way are too coarse to be respirable or do not have a fibrous consistency.
Evaluations to determine possible exposure of installers or occupants have shown no significant generation of airborne fibres. The reason for the very low airborne fibre concentration figures is that almost all products are made with a dust suppressing oil and with a binder which together control dust release from the products. Higher concentrations of dust may occur only in special applications such as the installation of blown or sprayed wools or the handling of old material in confined spaces with limited ventilation. Appropriate face masks should be worn for these applications. Insulation wool is generally installed in such a way that no further release of dust occurs after application.

However, just as with any form of dust, avoiding unnecessary exposure to insulation wool dust is prudent. Eurima and its member companies encourage installers and users of insulation wool products to follow the manufacturers' recommendations during handling of these products. It is our policy to inform our customers how to install and handle our products correctly. Your local ISOVER company can also provide you with instructions and material safety data sheets in your language that help you to correct usage.