Asbestos is composed of fibers that can cause life threatening illness, such as mesothelioma (a cancer), among others. Many companies are being proactive and having asbestos removed before it can harm someone. It can live safely behind walls or ceilings, but as soon as any fibers escape, people may inhale them and become ill. It only takes a tiny amount ingested into the lungs. Unfortunately, the symptoms may not be visible for as long as 40 years, so it’s difficult to prevent getting sick from an unknown source.
In general people come into contact with asbestos where they are employed or live. There are other dangerous places, however. Anyone living or working near a shipyard, steel mill, power plant, or refinery is at risk for asbestos exposure. Once again, the asbestos fibers break loose from where they’ve been hidden, and since they are airborne, they easily travel to neighborhoods that are close by. Other industrial sites that often have asbestos on site are maritime, building, car repair, especially brake or clutch work, roofing and railways.
Just as asbestos can be a serious problem for some types of businesses, it can also exist in many homes and schools. Prior to the 1970s, some materials used for building structures contained asbestos. In fact, an estimated 30 million tons of asbestos fiber was used just in the U.S. during this time, with some winding up in homes and schools.
How can you make sure your home is free of asbestos? First,remember that your home, even if it was built before 1970, does not necessarily contain asbestos. The majority of individuals that have developed health problems related to asbestos worked in industries where asbestos was prevalent, but were not exposed in their home. In addition, bear in mind that the majority of people exposed to small amounts of asbestos do not become ill.
However, if you have concerns or suspect that your home may have asbestos, you can contact the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to locate licensed or certified techniques where you live who can check the home for problems and if found, remove it. In addition, the EPA will usually recommend that you contact a separate firm to have them conduct an assessment to ensure there are no conflicts with the finding.
Anytime you’re contemplating home construction, assume that some of the materials will contain asbestos, unless marked asbestos free. Contact all manufacturers and get their guarantee that none of their building stock has asbestos fibers. You can’t be too careful.
When you purchase a home from a private seller, the seller is required by law to disclose any known hazards to you, including asbestos. Apartment buildings built prior to 1970 may have materials that include asbestos in their construction. Remember that asbestos only becomes truly dangerous when the product breaks down or opens, until then it is not a health risk.
OSHA issued standards in 1995 for testing, maintenance, and disclosure of asbestos for the workplace. However, rental property is also categorized under this ruling, meaning that property owners arerequired to disclose to potential renters any existing asbestos. With that information, you can make the determination of living there orlooking at other rental properly.
Content Provider: http://www.my-articles.com
More About Joseph Amainte: Joseph Amiante is the webmaster and operator of Asbestos Pain, a web site which focuses on asbestos issues. For more information, go to: www.asbestospain.com
|
