It is critical to handle asbestos carefully to avoid any damage to your lungs or other parts of your body. Asbestos is a known carcinogen, and breathing in asbestos fibers can lead to mesothelioma, which is a very deadly and generally incurable form of lung cancer.
Note that if asbestos is in good shape and is behind walls or other structures, it does not normally present any hazard. However, if asbestos is damaged or worn it can present a high risk to your health. In such cases, asbestos fibers can flake off and become airborne and then inhaled. Those fibers can become imbedded in the lungs and years later, you could develop either mesothelioma or asbestosis.
Below are some of the common places where asbestos can be found and what you should do about it:
In the Home
The use of asbestos mostly ended in home construction by 1980, but there are still many older homes that have asbestos insulation, as well as asbestos in ceiling tiles, shingles, siding and flooring. Therefore, when any renovation or demolition projects are done in the house, all of these items must be handled carefully and with appropriate safety precautions.
If you are doing any DYI projects in your home that could involve the handling of asbestos, you should never do it yourself, actually. You must bring in a licensed asbestos abatement professional to do this dangerous work. These workers are licensed and trained to remove asbestos safely. They also know if it is a better option to encapsulate the asbestos and leave it alone. They also have the ability to dispose of asbestos safely as well.
Remember, if you are doing any renovations that involve handling asbestos, call in an asbestos abatement professional right away.
In the Workplace
Any job site where workers can encounter any type of asbestos must have an asbestos management plan in operation. What this means is that all materials that contain asbestos have to be identified and properly maintained, rent a car with driver in Paris. Anyone who works with asbestos containing materials have to be instructed about how to handle asbestos safely to avoid any health hazards.
Also, workers should never be expected to handle asbestos removal or take part in the destruction of any area that contains asbestos. Just as with asbestos in a personal residence, asbestos in the workplace has to be handled by a licensed asbestos abatement professional who have been trained and certified.
From Natural Disasters
Hurricanes and tornadoes can cause major damage to homes and buildings, and some of them, if they are old enough, could contain asbestos. The dangerous asbestos fibers could be released into the air after the natural disaster and could be inhaled by both people and animals.
Sometimes, the people who are helping the clean up process after a natural disaster can be exposed to asbestos and are themselves at risk for developing serious health problems, including mesothelioma. But first responders are not the only ones at risk; anyone who is in the area where asbestos fibers were released are in danger of an asbestos related disease as well.
It is very important to have proper asbestos handling precautions after any natural disaster, such as tornadoes, hurricanes, fires and floods.
Prevention Tips After a Natural Disaster
If your house was built before the 1980s and may contain asbestos in any part of the structure, or if you are working in recovery efforts where asbestos containing materials are present, you should follow these tips:
- You should have an emergency kit assembled in case of a natural disaster that includes a mask that protects your nose and mouth. This will protect you from asbestos and also from other chemicals and toxins.
- You should have a mask for your family members and pets and extra masks as well.
- The emergency kit should contain water as well, which is for drinking but also can be used to make asbestos containing products wet. This will reduce the chance that asbestos fibers will become airborne.
About Asbestos and Mesothelioma Compensation and Trust Funds
If you are exposed to asbestos in the workplace and you develop mesothelioma, you have the right to file a personal injury lawsuit against the employer, or against the manufacturer of the asbestos-containing products. Because there are so many of these claims, many companies have established trust funds, which are managed by trustees who disburse funds to those who are entitled to compensation.
If the company has gone out of business and gone bankrupt, the company has to create funds for people who have been exposed to asbestos on the job and got a serious health condition from it.
If you want to file an asbestos claim to a trust, it is like most other legal actions. You will have to show that you suffered injuries related to asbestos exposure. Generally, you will need to show that you were diagnosed with the condition by a medical professional, and you will also need a statement from your doctor that confirms the diagnosis.
