Asbestos is a material made from fiber and it occurs naturally which has been used since the 1950s as a part of building material that is very popular everywhere and is used widely. It acts as an insulator to keep heat and cold out of the place where it is not required. It also prevents corrosion and has a brilliant fire protection property. If you carry any responsibility for an area which contains asbestos you get to have a legal duty to manage all the risks you are going to have because of this material or must check a regular measure to cope with the risk of Asbestos.
Types of Asbestos
There are mainly three types of Asbestos available which are commonly called as blue, brown and white asbestos. They are very dangerous carcinogens, but blue and brown asbestos are more dangerous than white asbestos. As they are often made by mixing it with other material, you cannot identify them with their color. If you are working on a building which was built around 2000 or before that, it is more probable that you are working near asbestos. They are mostly found in sprayed coating, ceiling and door panels, floor tiles, cement roof sheeting, etc.
Exposure to Asbestos
It is a large group of minerals with very minute and microparticles. These are the fibers that are resistant to heat fire and chemicals. They do not even conduct electricity. But they have been used in building industries since a long time especially in constructions and automobiles sector. While working with asbestos, you must keep in mind not to get it disturbed and broken. After being disturbed, the particles of the asbestos material which are fibrous in nature get diffused and mix with the particles of air. When you breathe in this air, you inhale these particles along with air and these particles get trapped in your lungs and do not get out. They stay there for many years and slowly their quantity in your lungs gets increased and this number reaches a stage when it gets very dangerous for the lungs further. After getting accumulated these fibrous structures lead to many serious health issues. As they get trapped in the lungs, they do not allow enough of the clean air to get filtered out from the lungs. As a result, it leads to shortening of breath and many serious lung problems. The biggest problem with this type of fiber is that you cannot clean the layer of fibers that gets accumulated in the lining of your lungs. You cannot remove the layer and hence the diseases caused by this problem are noncurable.
Harmful Effects of Asbestos
You can easily get acquired with an asbestos-related disease if you keep breathing in air containing asbestos fibers. It can cause mainly cancer of lungs and chest lining. They are only harmful when their particles are breathed in which are released in the air. Past exposure to asbestos killed around 4000 people a year in Great Britain. This number is expected to rise until 2018 because there is no cure for the asbestos-related disease. Those who have used asbestos for a longer duration have them on the premises, and who disturbs asbestos that has been damaged and affected are most likely to get affected by the harmful effects of this material. They are at major risks. The people who are indulged in drilling, sawing or cutting works are more at risks because they are prone to the asbestos area and get affected. The waste from the asbestos should be packed well in double polythene bags and should be kept away before disposing of it as waste. The polethene bags must be marked as asbestos because these wastes can only be given at those places which are licensed to receive such wastes. The local authorities have all the information about the sites to dispose of the products.
Causes of Asbestos
The air and surroundings near the asbestos prone area are very harmful and it might be very hazardous for you if you keep staying at those places for long. It can also cause many harmful diseases such as-
Mesothelioma
It is a type of cancer that affects the lining of your lungs and the area near your lower digestive side. It is a very rare disease that affects abdomen badly. It is only caused by over exposure from asbestos and it is always fatal because the symptoms are generally not observed early and by the time it is diagnosed it is in the last stage and can’t be treated.
Lung Cancer
It is the type of cancer which is also caused by smoking and drinking. This cancer can also be caused by breathing in an environment of the asbestos prone area. It is very common these days.
Asbestosis
It is a very serious disease that causes an inflammatory condition in the lungs and areas of the chest. It is a major health concern that can be caused either by over exposure to asbestos or if you have remained exposed to this material since a long time. It is a disease that is also harmful to lungs and it can cause shortness of breath, regular coughing, and scarring of the lungs. This ultimately leads to death. No cures have been developed for treating this disease.
Pleural Thickening
It is a problem that happens if you have been overexposed to the material. After a certain time, the lining of your lungs gets swelled up and thick. In later stages, you get shortening of breath and hard pain and discomfort in your chest.
Our Views
You must take safety precautions while working near or at the asbestos prone area. You must find out if any asbestos containing material are used and try to avoid the material. You must take safety measurements, training, and enough knowledge while working with it. Consult a medical advisor at regular intervals. Only if you take care of the surrounding and yourself, nothing can harm you in anyways. Thus, a prior care is always better than a cure.