How To Reduce Your Risk Of Asbestos Inhalation
Although (crocidolite) blues asbestos and (amosite) brown asbestos (considered the 2 most deadliest asbestos) are no longer mined and used today – remnants from the billions of tonnes which were widely used for insulation and fire- retardant properties in millions of homes and work places still exists.
For instance – asbestos can still be found in many buildings which were built prior to 1985, before it was banned from usage and no longer imported into Britain. Some of the more common places it can be found are on old pipes and boilers (used for thermal insulation), between wall cavities, ceiling panels, fire ducts, roofing, ( used as a fire retardant).
Approximately 13.000 schools in Britain contains asbestos, posing a health hazard to both staff and pupils. Government policy outlines – is for schools to manage the asbestos by sealing it with a silicone substance rather than having it removed. However – asbestos campaigners warn that the constant banging of school doors, and even sticking drawing-pins into walls (where asbestos boards exist ) can release millions of asbestos fibres and dust into the atmosphere. For instance – health and safety figures conclude that between 1991-2005, a staggering 228 teaching staff died from asbestos related disease.
Asbestos becomes more harmful when it is damaged or deteriorating with age. This is when it is referred to as being ‘friable’ – friable means that it has become dry and can be crumbled in your hand. In this condition – the asbestos material can release more fibres into the atmosphere increasing the risk of fibre inhalation. The photo below depicts detrioration/damage to asbestos pipe insulation and therefore is a health hazard.
Reducing your exposure to asbestos:
- Home
- Work Place
Home:
- Inspect your home for any deteriorating asbestos.If you cannot identify asbestos looking materials – Have an experienced contractor expect them.
- Do not attempt to disturb suspected asbestos materials. I.e. saw, drill, scrape or sand
- Do not attempt to remove the asbestos yourself – asbestos removal should only be carried out by licensed contractors.
Work Place:
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Check to see whether your employer is adhering to health and safety regulations. You can access the ‘explanatory memorandum to the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2006’ on the Parliament website. The Health and Safety Executive ‘HSE’ has also issued its own guidelines ‘HSE summary of the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2006’ available on the HSE website.
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If you are clearly aware that you are working within close proximity to asbestos – ask your employer if the asbestos has been regulated and checked for safety, I.e. it has been sealed or contained to a safe and satisfactory standard. Criminal charges can be brought against employers under the ‘Environmental Protection Act 1990’ for misuse of asbestos.
What is the likelihood of what will happen if I have been exposed to asbestos?
Being exposed to asbestos does not necessarily mean that you will definitely develop an asbestos-related disease such as mesothelioma and asbestosis. As this depends on how long you have been exposed to friable asbestos, how many fibres you have inhaled, and what type of asbestos fibres they were.
For instance – A plumber who has been unwittingly working a decade or more on water pipes, tanks, and boilers that have been covered in asbestos insulation, has a far more higher risk of developing an asbestos-related disease, than someone who has dismantled an old storage heater with asbestos in it.
As a rule of thumb – It is best that you try and minimise your risk of asbestos inhalation all together, as there is no definite guarantee of safety with light exposure to asbestos.
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