Asbestos starts life as a mineral found in certain rocks, mainly in South America. It is fibrous in nature and has fire retardant properties. Asbestos has been widely used as a building material for over 100 years. It can be found in cement pipes and sheets as a reinforcing agent. These asbestos cement products can be found in many schools, factories and homes. Asbestos was also used to make floor tiles and as insulation lagging on hot water pipes.Over the past 20 -30 years researchers and medical opinion has united against any asbestos use at all. Asbestos containing materials let asbestos fibers off into the air. These fibers lodge in the lungs of people working and living in the building and cause a disease called asbestosis, or mesothelioma.

Asbestos is a term used for some naturally occurring minerals that form long thin fibers and fiber bundles on crystallization. Most commonly found group is the serpentine group that includes Chrysotile (white asbestos). It is also the most frequently mined form of Asbestos. Another very important asbestos group is known as the amphiboles, which includes Crocidolite (blue asbestos) and Amosite (brown asbestos). The asbestos fibers have high tensile strength, and chemical, electrical and heat resistance properties and so are extremely useful as a building/insulation material. Asbestos has been used extensively all over the world.

Health Hazards
Mesothelioma is an incurable cancer of the lung. It only takes one asbestos fiber in the lung to cause asbestosis. Asbestos workers are the people most affected by asbestosis and mesothelioma. People who worked in construction and ship building in the 1950s and 1960s are also commonly affected.

Dangers of Asbestos

Asbestos testing is necessary, because you can’t tell whether a material contains asbestos simply by looking at it, unless it is labeled. If in doubt, treat the material as if it contains asbestos or have it sampled and analyzed by a qualified professional. A professional should take samples for analysis, a professional knows what to look for, and because there may be an increased health risk if fibers are released.

Asbestos

If asbestos is found then the removal is very expensive. Employers sometimes employ non-specialists to rip out the offending material, before even testing for asbestos. The old floor tiles or pipes can then just be dumped, without the extra expense of taking it to a licensed asbestos disposal site. While all this is happening, if asbestos is present, the air in the building is full of tiny asbestos fibers, all getting into the lungs of people working there.

Conclusion


Once released into the air, asbestos particles can remain suspended for a long time. These fibers are invisible to human eyes and when inhaled can cause serious health problems including lung cancer. Note : This blog is of interest general advice and whilst it is accurate at time of posting you can always visit my website for the current info. Read more about it all here https://www.sesa.com.au/occupational-hygiene-consultants-qualified-occupational-hygienists-sydney-nsw-act.htmlThis is the reason why asbestos testing is a necessary safeguard for people handling and working with asbestos materials. People who are handling asbestos or products containing asbestos, including those involved in mining, producing or processing asbestos are at a great health risk. Natural resources containing asbestos and pipes made of cement can contaminate even drinking water. Asbestos testing is must and strongly suggested for the areas where asbestos related industries were functional or asbestos was used as a material.