Asbestos, protect yourself from it without panicking |
Posted: August 7, 2020 |
Without our realizing it, asbestos is still present around us, in certain buildings or technical equipment. There are therefore still significant risks of exposure to this dangerous fiber. These risks are often linked to cleaning, repair, renovation, demolition of buildings or installations containing asbestos, careless removal of asbestos-containing materials and asbestos landfill. The risk associated with the presence of an asbestos material must be assessed on a case-by-case basis. Faced with this danger, the question of the consequences of possible asbestos exposure fibers may arise. Fortunately, various measures exist to limit this risk. These will depend on the nature, quantities, location and condition of the asbestos present in the building. The information given below is general information about health problems related to asbestos. In any case these are not equivalent to the information of a specialist doctor. To get any help you should follow Alabama Asbestos Exposure. What are the risky situations? Following the disappearance of asbestos materials factories, the frequencies, durations and levels of workers' exposure to asbestos have sharply decreased. For certain trades or during certain activities, a risk nevertheless remains. Workers in the building sector (renovation, maintenance and demolition) can be considered as potentially the most exposed (demolishers, heating engineers, roofers, elevator operators, etc.). What are the risks and diseases associated with exposure to asbestos fibers? All asbestos fibers are harmful, although crocidolite type asbestos fibers (also called blue asbestos) are considered the most dangerous. Asbestos fibers are very fine (up to 0.02 µm, or 2,000 times thinner than a hair) but relatively long (up to 0.02 mm). These can penetrate and remain in the alveoli of the lungs and cause damage. The fibers are bio-persistent, they, therefore, remain in the body and can, thus, generate various diseases. Asbestos material as such does not present any danger. In fact, asbestos only poses a health risk if the fibers are found in the air. The effects of asbestos depend on different factors:
Asbestos-related diseases are either non-cancerous, such as asbestosis or fibrosis of the lungs, or cancerous, such as mesothelioma or lung cancer:
These diseases generally occur after a long latency period between the onset of exposure to asbestos and the appearance of symptoms or radiological signs (20 to 40 years are frequently observed delays).
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