Industrial safety standards came a long way over the course of the 20th century, and while there are still areas in which they can no doubt be refined and improved, a very important step was made the day it was decided to ban asbestos as a building material. These days, all forms of asbestos are banned and it’s vitally important to conduct asbestos removal whenever it is discovered.
In this article, we’ll be taking a look at what asbestos exposure can do to the human body and why asbestos removal is so important.
Asbestosis And Mesothelioma
Asbestos – a fibrous silicate mineral – was used for thousands of years as a construction and building material due to its fire-retardant properties, but only in the 20th century did doctors begin to connect the seemingly useful material to a serious health condition, now referred to as asbestosis.
Put simply, when people come into contact with damaged asbestos, they breathe in tiny fibres. Over time, these fibres cause serious damage to the lungs resulting in shortness of breath, wheezing, and persistent coughs as well as a variety of other unpleasant symptoms. That time factor is the real problem though because asbestosis usually takes between 20 and 30 years before the symptoms begin to show.
Furthermore, asbestosis can very often lead to mesothelioma, a highly severe form of lung cancer that, once diagnosed, has a very low recovery rate. As such, doctors will usually recommend palliative care, in which the focus is primarily on controlling symptoms and prolonging life.
The Importance Of Asbestos Removal
Given the risks, it’s unsurprising that asbestos was banned, but you might be wondering why – if the condition can only result from damaged asbestos – removal of the substance is considered so important.
Once again, the problem really comes down to the time factor. If asbestos is damaged and goes into people’s lungs, it’s quite possible that nobody will know about it for many years to come. This means that there’s the potential for decades of exposure to this incredibly toxic and harmful substance with nobody any the wiser.
While this is a worst-case scenario, it’s also far from impossible, and while it’s often hard to pinpoint a case of mesothelioma back to its source, removing asbestos as soon as possible will drastically reduce the chances of anyone being harmed.
Always Hire Asbestos Removal Experts
Lastly, we really want to stress that asbestos removal is not a job for laymen. Failure to correctly remove and dispose of asbestos can be incredibly dangerous to everyone involved which is why you should always ensure that the people you’re hiring are qualified asbestos removal professionals who know exactly what they’re doing.
