Asbestos Removal and its Health Hazards
Updated: Sep 20, 2023
Asbestos can be defined as a silicate mineral that occurs in sets of six. Asbestos has been mined for well over 4000 years. However, the commercialization of the mining for large-scale excavation took place only towards the end of the 19th century. This boom in asbestos mining was caused because of the heavy demand for these minerals in the construction industry. This demand was caused due to the physical properties of the asbestos.
Affordable asbestos has physical properties that include fire resistance, heat resistance, sound absorption, electricity resistance, average tensile strength, and lots more. These excellent and noteworthy properties of asbestos made them widely used until the 20th century when it was discovered that the minerals have some lethal health hazards. Upon the discovery of these health hazards, government bodies across the globe made the use of asbestos in the construction industry illegal making removal of asbestos a matter of urgency.
How to Remove Asbestos Safely? The safest and most effective way of removing asbestos is to hire a professional company that specializes in the removal of asbestos. Professional asbestos removal companies have the necessary equipment and tools to ensure that the asbestos removal process is done safely and securely. Asbestos removal companies also have highly trained and skilled professionals on the team who can get the job done without harming the health of the people in the surroundings.
An alternative idea for dealing with asbestos removal services is handling the matter yourself. The steps that need to be undertaken for the asbestos removal are as follows:
First and foremost, you need to make sure that you cover yourself properly. Your skin must not be exposed to the asbestos material. Also, it is essential that you wear a mask to cover your face, a hat for your hair, glasses or goggles for your eyes, and gloves for your hands.
Avoid eating, smoking, or drinking in the area where you’re working to remove the asbestos. This precaution is necessary to prevent you from inhaling the fibers of the asbestos materials.
Avoid the use of power tools to remove asbestos.
Water blasting asbestos cement sheets is illegal and must be avoided at any cost to prevent the fibers from flying around.
Dampen the asbestos cement sheets very gently to make sure that the dust from the sheets doesn’t fly around.
Cutting into asbestos sheets should be avoided at any cost.
Don’t throw the asbestos sheets from a height instead place them down gently instead. Throwing can lead to breakage that can further lead to asbestos dust flying around.
Inform your neighbors to stay away from the area when working on the removal.
Health Hazards of Exposure to Asbestos
Exposure to asbestos for a long time has proven to be extremely damaging to the lungs and can also cause several lethal and discomforting diseases. Some of the illnesses that may be caused due to the exposure to asbestos include:
Asbestosis: Asbestosis is an illness of the lungs. The lungs of a person who has breathed in asbestos fibers for a prolonged period end up getting severely scarred. Scarring of the lungs causes severe difficulty in breathing.
Pleural Disease: Pleural disease is another lung-related disease that is often caused due to long-time exposure to asbestos. One major change that occurs in the lungs with this disease includes the thickening of the membrane that surrounds the chest cavity and the lungs.
Lung Cancer: Lung tumors and cancers have also been caused due to long-term exposure to asbestos.
Mesothelioma: Mesothelioma is a form of cancer wherein the membrane that covers the chest cavity and the lungs becomes cancerous.
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