Asbestos
What is asbestos?
Asbestos is the name given to a group
of naturally occurring minerals that are resistant to heat and corrosion.
Asbestos has been used in products, such as insulation for pipes (steam lines
for example), floor tiles, building materials, and in vehicle brakes and
clutches. Asbestos includes the mineral fibers chrysotile, amosite,
crocidolite, tremolite, anthophyllite, actinolite and any of these materials
that have been chemically treated or altered. Heavy exposures tend to occur in
the construction industry and in ship repair, particularly during the removal
of asbestos materials due to renovation, repairs, or demolition. Workers are
also likely to be exposed during the manufacture of asbestos products (such as
textiles, friction products, insulation, and other building materials) and
during automotive brake and clutch repair work.
What are the hazards of asbestos?
Asbestos is well recognized as a health
hazard and its use is now highly regulated by both OSHA and EPA. Asbestos fibers
associated with these health risks are too small to be seen with the naked eye.
Breathing asbestos fibers can cause a buildup of scar-like tissue in the lungs
called asbestosis and result in loss of lung function that often progresses to
disability and death. Asbestos also causes cancer of the lung and other
diseases such as mesothelioma of the pleura which is a fatal malignant tumor of
the membrane lining the cavity of the lung or stomach.
What can be done to reduce the hazards
of asbestos?
Worker exposure to asbestos hazards are
addressed in specific OSHA standards for the construction industry, general
industry and shipyard employment sectors. These standards reduce the risk to
workers by requiring that employers provide personal exposure monitoring to
assess the risk and hazard awareness training for operations where there is any
potential exposure to asbestos. Airborne levels of asbestos are never to exceed
legal worker exposure limits. Where the exposure does, employers are required
to further protect workers by establishing regulated areas, controlling certain
work practices and instituting engineering controls to reduce the airborne
levels. The employer is required to ensure exposure is reduced by using
administrative controls and provide for the wearing of personal protective
equipment. Medical monitoring of workers is also required when legal limits and
exposure times are exceeded. ruj: http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/asbestos/index.html
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