Everyone’s heard of the infamous mineral known as asbestos and the health concerns it can cause. The workers of nearly four million American buildings work in environments with asbestos and don’t even realize that they are at risk. The thing is, working in a building with this mineral doesn’t automatically mean your health is at risk. The key is to ensure those nasty fibers are not able to enter your lungs.
Ensure That Your Work Building is Tested
One of the first things you should do is assess the risk with an asbestos test. Testing is necessary because all forms of asbestos exposure do not have the same impact on your health. To avoid conflicts of interest, when your job site gets a professional asbestos building test, they should work with a contractor that doesn’t also handle asbestos abatement.
When your company learns the severity of the potential damages that could occur, you need to respond accordingly. You should also familiarize yourself with federal and local asbestos laws.
Wear Protective Equipment
Depending on the exposure level, you may need to provide protective gear to minimize the exposure risk. Typically, working in an office where you don’t come in direct contact with the potentially hazardous material shouldn’t pose a threat.
If you work in sanitation or do construction on buildings with asbestos, you as an employer should provide protective equipment. For instance, you may need to provide respiratory protection. You may need to offer regular employee exposure monitoring and provide the training necessary to keep yourself and your employees safe during shifts.
Prepare Yourself for Future Asbestos Abatement
While you may be able to work in asbestos temporarily, you should plan for abatement. When you inhale the asbestos in older buildings, you harm your respiratory system. Some people even develop cancer from these environments. If you are the business owner, it’s best to prepare for asbestos removal as soon as possible.
There are many ways to reduce your asbestos risk. You can try encapsulation, which seals visible asbestos fibers and minimizes contact. You can also use the enclosure method. The enclosure method insulates asbestos pipes behind wall partitions. In severe cases, it may be necessary to remove the asbestos entirely.
People tend to underestimate the impact asbestos can have on their health. Be sure to take proper health safety precautions as soon as possible.
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