Asbestos

The hazard may occur during performing brake or clutch repairs, renovating or demolishing buildings or ships. Or during the cleanup from those activities. The main industries where exposure occurs are shipyards and construction. Workers exposed could be working on home renovation, flooring, roofing or mechanics inindustry. Other occupations at risk are shipyard workers,fire-fighters and power-plant workers.

Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral fiber, widely usedin buildings and building materials, machines, transport vehicles and consumer products (before its dangeroushealth effects were discovered). Asbestos is the collectiveterm for naturally occurring silicate minerals with acrystalline structure and a fibrous character. Individual asbestos fibers cannot be seen or smelled. Asbestos fibersare released into the air during activities that disturbasbestos-containing materials.

Over the span of many years, asbestos fibers that areinhaled or ingested, can cause genetic changes that canlead to cancer, more specific: mesothelioma in case ofasbestos exposure. Lifestyle factors (smoking, chronicstress, poor dietary habits and poor physical fitness) may affect a person’s risk of developing cancer after asbestosexposure. Early symptoms of asbestos related cancer could be shortness of breath, coughing, chest pain, digestion issues and nausea.

Latency period between exposure and asbestos related cancer varies from 15 to 50 years depending on the type of cancer and lifestyle factors.

Perform proper exposure measurements and strictlystick to the existing regulations. Inform workers about the risks and preventive measures. Investigate if the work will generate airborne fibers.

Best solution is to control exposure by elimination or substitution, for example try to plan the job withoutdisturbing any asbestos. If it has to be disturbed, makesure the right equipment and working techniques are used by trained workers in order to minimize exposure andmaximize the effectiveness of the control. Make sure theright mask and overall are used for personal protection. People with a history of asbestos exposure should seek regular health screenings and watch out for symptoms of cancer.