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Asbestos Danger
Asbestos is a type of mineral fiber that is often used as an
additive to a variety of products. It is used to strengthen and to
provide heat insulation because it is heat resistant. Some of the
industrial products made with asbestos include the following:
roofing tars, felts, shingles and siding; fireproofing; gaskets;
plasters and stuccos; vinyl floor tiles, adhesives, ceiling tiles
and sheeting; mud and texture coats; clutch plates; brake pads and
shoes; fire blankets; putty; and acoustical ceilings
Indeed, the uses of asbestos are many. However, as early as 1898,
the United Kingdom’s Chief Inspector of Factories, in his Annual
Report, informed Parliament about asbestos dangers – that is, the
microscopic particles of asbestos present in the air.
In 1906, the first asbestos deaths in British factories were
confirmed by a British Parliamentary Commission. It appears that the
asbestos fibers, when inhaled, can enter the lungs and cause
complications and diseases, such as asbestosis (scarring of the lung
tissue), mesothelioma (cancer of the mesothelial lining of the
lungs), and cancer of the larynx, stomach, pharynx, and colorectal
area.
As a result of these known asbestos dangers, the use of the mineral
in industries had to be stopped. Still, many of the buildings and
homes built before or in the 1970s used asbestos, so the general
stoppage of its use in industries does not necessarily free you from
asbestos dangers.
Phase I of Environmental Assessment of Buildings often include an
asbestos check to determine if a building or a house uses materials
containing asbestos. Some common products that may be considered as
a source of asbestos dangers include:
* Steam Pipes, Furnace Ducts and Boilers
Constructions of this type made in the 1970s are insulated with
blankets or paper tapes made from asbestos. An asbestos danger may
arise if these materials are removed improperly, damaged or
repaired.
* Resilient Floor Tiles, Vinyl Sheet Flooring and Adhesives
Resilient floor tiles are made with a combination of asphalt, rubber
and vinyl asbestos. These, along with vinyl sheet flooring and
adhesives, may cause asbestos danger when the fibers are released in
the air through scraping or sanding. Moreover, the back of the sheet
during removal may also cause asbestos danger.
* Cement Sheet, Paper and Millboard
These materials are used for insulating the furnaces and woodburning
stoves and thus contain asbestos. When repairing or removing these
appliances, asbestos danger occurs as the fibers are released in the
air. There can also be asbestos danger if you cut, tear, sand, drill
or saw the insulation.
Most construction materials today no longer use asbestos and instead
use other alternatives in order to avoid asbestos danger.
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