People don’t usually consider health and general well-being regarding their job and career.
However, sometimes such issues can also be life-threatening. For instance, a person working at a chemical factory or a construction site could be exposed to hazardous chemicals and minerals.
Asbestos is one such mineral. It occurs naturally and is used in construction, making heat-resistant fabrics and packaging.
Its flexibility, heat resistance, and electricity make it very useful. Which sometimes undermines its toxicity.
Asbestos exposure could lead to asbestos poisoning, which could be fatal. You can easily be exposed to it at a construction site. Asbestos poisoning can also occur in your house as it is used in floor and ceiling tiles.
Signs of asbestos poisoning might not show up for decades. However, its diagnosis is very important as even after a long period, it could be deadly. There are several symptoms to consider;
- Shortness of breath
- Chest pain
- Weight loss, loss of appetite
The major disease caused by asbestos is classified as asbestosis. It is a chronic lung disease that causes scarring of lung tissues. If the condition becomes severe, you could be diagnosed with lung cancer.
Mesothelioma is a terminal form of cancer caused by asbestos poisoning. It is a deadly disease with an average survival rate of 4 to 8 months after diagnosis.
In the case of Mesothelioma, people are urged to seek help from different institutions like; www.mesotheliomahope.com, which provides resources, treatments, and financial support to the patients.
You should avoid asbestos exposure whenever possible. However, exposure is inevitable if you work at a construction site or in a business regarding asbestos.
In such a case, ensuring you are protected from poisoning is important to prevent long-term disease. This is possible in several ways.
1. Following Safety and Health regulations
Asbestos’s use in construction and products has always been frowned upon. It was also illegalized in Canada in 2018.
However, it is still being used in different processes as it has not been completely banned.
Occupational Safety and Health Administration regulations must be followed when working with asbestos.
It is an employer’s responsibility to ensure that their workers are not infected by asbestos. With the increased awareness, workers are more knowledgeable about asbestos and its effects.
As a worker well aware and concerned about asbestos, you must ensure that your office follows Occupational Safety and Health Administration regulations.
You should discuss the situation with your employer to ensure proper measures are taken. It is important to form a communication line with the management and co-workers to ensure everyone understands the importance of these measures.
By following such measures and regulations, asbestos exposure is minimized. This would eventually help in avoiding asbestosis and other diseases related to asbestos.
2. Avoiding Damaged Asbestos Material around your Home
Just like construction sites, Asbestos can be easily found in your house. It is used in different materials like; floor tiles, ceilings, and insulation. And it is easy for the residents to be exposed to materials containing asbestos.
An object containing asbestos is not particularly hazardous for you as long as it is not damaged. However, a simple crack or an opening could cause asbestos poisoning.
If you are doing some repair or remodeling work, you should check your house for traces of asbestos.
Asbestos fibers, when heated, can spread very easily. Hence, if you find a damaged wall or insulation, the best way to deal with it would be to get it checked immediately.
Asbestos is not used in construction, for the most part, these days. Nevertheless, it can still be found in old buildings, especially during the 1980s.
Such structures should be checked thoroughly to prevent asbestos poisoning.
3. Hire a Professional
When it comes to Asbestos, you can never be too cautious. Hiring an experienced asbestos inspector can confirm if your house is infested with asbestos.
Hiring a professional to take samples from your house will save you from the danger of asbestos exposure. The samples taken from your home would then be sent for lab testing.
If asbestos presence is confirmed, the inspection team will guide you through the steps of getting rid of it.
You can hire a contractor trained and experienced in repairing and removing asbestos from your house. Once the contractor has completed their inspection, you can always have a second inspection to ensure your home is asbestos-free.
Hiring professional help in other tasks could also help you prevent asbestosis. Asbestos is used in different things. Hiring professionals to deal with such objects can lower your asbestos exposure.
For instance, breaking pads in cars are often laced with asbestos. If a repair is required, it would be better to hire a professional rather than trying to fix it yourself.
Why? Because a professional mechanic would be equipped with adequate equipment to deal with the issue.
4. Avoiding a Construction Site
Construction sites are usually rich in asbestos. These sites aren’t just commercial areas because asbestos is found in under-construction houses and societies as well
If you are close to a commercial area or an under-construction house, you should be careful as you could easily be exposed to asbestos fibers in the air.
Keeping your windows and doors closed is one way to go about this. It would help if you kept your house bolted properly, especially during strong winds, as asbestos particles could easily travel through the wind.
The same precaution should be taken when driving close to such a location. By keeping your car’s windows rolled up, you can avoid maximum exposure to asbestos.
But if you live in a high-risk area, you can always use masks and employ protective measures. Wear a simple face mask or a HEPA-filter mask to ensure minimum exposure.
Wearing a simple mask while passing close to a high-risk site could make all the difference for you and your family.
Conclusion
With asbestos being present around us in many forms, it is easy to get exposed. This could have fatal consequences; asbestos poisoning leads to serious diseases like lung cancer and Mesothelioma.
By simply avoiding asbestos-rich materials and incorporating protective measures, we can limit exposure to a minimum. This reduces the risk of being diagnosed with a fatal disease.
Our aim for people of all ages should be reducing exposure to materials containing asbestos and other toxic substances.