Risks posed with exposure to Asbestos

Asbestos exposure is very dangerous to human health that can lead to serious diseases including asbestosis, lung cancer and mesothelioma cancer and many other breathing diseases. Exposure of these minute asbestos fibers is most common in the workplace, but it can happen at home, in an unrestricted space such as the building or in the military. It is more important to know about asbestos to understand the risk associated with its exposure. Asbestos is a mineral that was used in thousands of residential, commercial and for manufacturing products. The risk of consuming these diseases increases with the number of fibers inhaled and the chance of lung cancer from inhaling asbestos fibers is also greater if you smoke. People who get frequent health problems from inhaling asbestos have normally been exposed to high levels of asbestos for a long time in the workplace. The symptoms of these diseases do not usually develop until about 20 to 30 years after the first exposure to asbestos.

Most people are exposed to very small amounts of asbestos as they move through their daily lives and do not develop asbestos-related health problems. Discovering that your home or workplace is made from fibro products does not mean your health is at risk. Many studies have shown that these products, if in quality condition and left undisturbed, are not a significant health risk. Asbestos awareness will provide general asbestos information, including the health effects of asbestos, building materials that contain asbestos, how to recognize damaged asbestos and proper precautions during the exposure.

The products where asbestos was commonly used:

• Cement sheeting (fibro)

• Drainage and flue pipes

• Roofing, guttering, and flexible building boards. Alike cement sheeting goods are used today, but are 'asbestos free'

• Obstacles, clutches, and gaskets.

The main symptoms of Asbestos-related deseases

In most cases, symptoms don’t start to develop until a long period of time after exposure to asbestos fibers which includes:

• Shortness of breath

• Tightness in your chest

• Persistent dry cough

• Chest pain

• Appetite loss

• Finger clubbing (enlarged fingertips)

• Nail deformities

Precautions to minimize exposure include:

• Take an asbestos awareness course for more knowledge and understanding about asbestos-related diseases.

• Spraying with water to limit soil/dust from becoming airborne, being careful around electrical fittings.

• Covering with plastic sheeting or a tarpaulin if the potential to avoid exposure to the weather.

• Restricting access by children, and/or pets.

• Covering children's toys.

• Use wet clean up methods used rather than dry sweeping or vacuuming.

• Where loose fiber asbestos covering may have been installed do not enter the roof space & restrict access to the roof hole through the man-hole and vents.

People who have experienced health effects from exposure to asbestos have usually worked in either the asbestos mining or milling industry, worked in industries involved in making or installing asbestos products, or families of these people. In all of these circumstances, there was exposure to high levels of airborne dust, from either the processes involved or from the clothes of the workers. Asbestos awareness training can help these people to avoid unexpected hazards due to these exposures.

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