From Fire Prevention To Asbestos Exposure Risk!

It may not be very well known that despite the prohibition of white chrysotile asbestos, introduced in 1999 by the Control of Asbestos at Work Regulations, it actually was not until 1st January 2005 that the legislation on the final and complete ban on all imports and use of asbestos-containing materials (ACMs) was enacted.

Up until this time, the building industry could still allow certain types of insulation board (AIB), cement products and surface coatings to be used in the construction of domestic and commercial properties. Throughout most of the twentieth century, asbestos awareness of the life-threatening risks of exposure to asbestos was often not made available to the workforce.

Lack of asbestos exposure prevention left a terrible legacy for the many thousands of workers, which continues to this day. Breathing in of the asbestos fibre dust, which remains permanently lodged in the linings of the lungs, eventually causes asbestosis disease and the fatal malignant and incurable cancer tumours of mesothelioma. The long gestation period of up to 50 years before the first asbestosis symptoms appear often means a survival rate of only 4 to 12 months after confirmed diagnosis.

Asbestos material, in its' most common forms of amosite (brown asbestos), crocidolite (blue asbestos) and chrysotile (white asbestos), was widely used as an inexpensive source of durable yet flexible heat insulator and fire retardant throughout most of UK industry and manufacturing until the 1970s and 80s. Between 1935 and 1971, sprayed asbestos coatings were extensively applied in public buildings for acoustic and thermal insulation and fire protection of structural steel work.

Although now a less frequent occurrence, fire retardant and prevention materials containing asbestos, which were used in many households, offices, hospitals, schools, department stores and other buildings, can still be discovered in properties constructed or renovated up until the 1980s, or even later in some instances.

Aside from pipe lagging and linings, the most common fire prevention materials made with asbestos include wall panels, boards and fire doors (often indistinguishable from normal wooden doors). Fire dampers manufactured from asbestos were safety devices often placed within a building's air duct system to prevent the spread of fire from one area to another.

However, fire prevention equipment could also be found in many premises and were likely to come into direct contact with people. Most typically installed were fire blankets used to extinguish both small and medium-sized fires and flames, which have spread to an individual's clothing or skin.

Similarly, numerous industrial, engineering and manufacturing factories would contain metal mesh blankets frequently made of interwoven metal and asbestos strands, which would be draped over welders and other workers to prevent burns or injuries.

It is only when buildings are being demolished or renovated, that the hidden asbestos material will come to light. The Control of Asbestos Regulations 2006 is designed to ensure a thorough and rigorous risk assessment is made before any work proceeds. Any asbestos found is likely to be in a highly friable ( fragile and disintegrating) state and authorised asbestos containment and disposal contractors must be contacted immediately.

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Original article

Asbestos Safety in the Prevention of Mesothelioma

WHAT IS MESOTHELIOMA?

Mesothelioma is a rare form of cancer of the lungs which may be caused by exposure to asbestos. The major risk factor for mesothelioma is working with asbestos. About 70 percent to 80 percent of all mesothelioma cases report a history of asbestos exposure at work. Some individuals without any known exposure to asbestos have been diagnosed with mesothelioma. There is a great number of workers who have been exposed to asbestos, have contracted mesothelioma, and have sued their employers. Currently lawyers advertising mesothelioma litigation are all over the place. Asbestos use has been outlawed in many countries, and strict safety precautions are enacted to prevent exposure to asbestos and the resulting mesothelioma. In other parts of the world asbestos safety is much less regulated. I remember being in Taiwan about ten years ago and asbestos roofing was commonplace. Mesothelioma is the one cancer that can be directly associated with asbestos.

As bad as asbestos has been made out to be it is a valuable mineral with a rich history. In manufacturing, the use of asbestos was originally believed to be a miracle mineral it is cheap to produce, has a high resistance to heat, chemical and electrical damage, and tensile strength. Over time it became obvious that workers in asbestos factories and mines who inhale asbestos fibers regularly, over a long period of time are at high risk for contracting the disease.

Asbestos is in great demand in many countries as a cheap, easy to use and durable construction material, and there is therefore a wide market for it. Many people are still unaware of the health risk involved with asbestos and do not know what mesothelioma is. As older buildings are demolished, the remaining asbestos is snatched up and sold.

MESOTHELIOMA SYMPTOMS

Symptoms of mesothelioma include shortness of breath, chest wall pain, and weight loss, and diagnosis can be checked using a CT scan or chest X-ray, and can be confirmed with a biopsy. Asbestosis is another disease caused by exposure to asbestos. While not cancerous, it is caused by scarring of the lung tissue which causes the lungs to lose their ability to transfer oxygen to the blood. Asbestosis is difficult to diagnose unless x-rays are taken periodically and compared to detect changes is the condition of the lungs. Mesothelioma is often difficult to pinpoint the cause or origin of the disease because it has a latency period of about 40 years.

SAFETY

Lawsuits against asbestos manufacturers have been appearing since 1929. Since then, the liability from such court cases has reached billions of dollars for not meeting the general duty clause even after the links between prolonged asbestos exposure and Mesothelioma have been confirmed. Certain industries have higher incidence rates of asbestosis and mesothelioma. Among the highest is the shipbuilding industry. Workers would often spend over 8 hours a day in an enclosed ship inhaling asbestos fibers without any respiratory protection. Because of the lawsuits and the general recognition that asbestos has inherent dangers, the US EPA has rigorous policies regarding all aspects of asbestos safety. The evidence is that when handled safely, the use of it can be properly managed. It is often more safe to leave asbestos in place but to ensure that people are notified of its presence and safely work with it.

SYNERGISM AND SMOKING CIGARETTES

There is a synergistic effect between smoking cigarettes and exposure to asbestos. This means that someone who smokes and has been exposed to asbestos is at a greater risk of developing lung cancer than the risks of someone who only smokes or the risks of someone who is only exposed to asbestos combined.

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