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Asbestos Exposure And Your Health

Asbestos exposure is a real risk. Asbestos materials are so common that many people easily get exposed to asbestos. You can find it in concrete, ceilings, roofs, water pipes, and auto parts. Knowing what to do if exposed to asbestos can help if you think you or your loved ones are at risk.

Read on to find out tips about symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment of asbestos-related diseases and how you can protect yourself. Also, you can get ideas on what asbestos is, types of asbestos materials, examples, what to do if exposed, and the dangers of asbestos exposure.

This article will also discuss the occupational risks of asbestos exposure, workplace asbestos management, and support services for people with asbestos-related illnesses.

What Is Asbestos?

Asbestos is the classification of a group of naturally occurring minerals. Their characteristics include resistance to high temperatures and fire. Likewise, they are great for use as insulators. Asbestos was commonly used in building materials in Australia from the 1940s through to 1987 because of its characteristics.

You may come across naturally occurring asbestos in soil and rock formations. This can happen if you are involved in road building, construction, excavation, or mining. Naturally occurring asbestos can be found in the Pilbara region of Western Australia.

Types Of Asbestos

Generally, there are two groups of asbestos-containing material. These include the following:

Bonded (non-friable) asbestos materials

Asbestos fibres are added to a bonding agent such as cement. Typically, this group contains below 15% of asbestos. Asbestos fibres can become airborne when asbestos fibres or asbestos-containing materials are handled unsafely.

These materials do not usually release fibres until they become damaged, disturbed, or deteriorated over time.

Friable (loosely bound) asbestos materials

These asbestos materials can be reduced to powder or crumbled by hand. They quickly become friable if they become crusted or are damaged by fire. These loosely bound asbestos materials pose the most danger because the fibres are easily released into the air.

Examples Of Asbestos Containing Materials

Examples of asbestos-containing materials include the following:

  • Cement pipes
  • Insulation
  • Floor tiles
  • Flat and corrugated sheeting
  • Adhesives
  • Textiles
  • Roofing
  • Automobile parts like brake pads
  • Textured paints

However, there was phasing out of products containing asbestos in Australia in the 1980s. Currently, asbestos is banned in Australia. A national ban came into effect fully at the end of 2003. This included a ban on importing asbestos and all products containing asbestos.

Steps To Take Once Exposed To Asbestos

Here are several steps to take if you think you may have been exposed to asbestos.

Get immediate help

Consult a doctor without delay if you think you have been exposed to asbestos. Better still, you could specifically consult an asbestos-related disease specialist. It can be helpful to know that benefits and compensations are available to those diagnosed with asbestos-related diseases.

Seal up the environment

Seal up and stay away from the environment having the carcinogen. Quarantining the environment reduces further asbestos exposure risks.

Invite a professional asbestos removalist company

Invite an asbestos removal company that can effectively remove the asbestos. This helps reduce further chances of exposure to asbestos while managing the contaminated environment.

Reduce or quit smoking

Tobacco smoke substantially increases the risk of developing lung cancer in people exposed to asbestos, according to WHO. Many deaths due to mesothelioma were associated with those who smoked cigarettes while working or living with asbestos.

Therefore, a reasonable step to take to protect your health and fight asbestos is to stop smoking.

Consume less red meat

Diets with high content of red meat increase your vulnerability to lung-related cancers. It is healthier to replace red meat with anti-cancer foods. You could try replacing red meat with garlic, berries, broccoli, and soy protein.

Dangers Of Asbestos Exposure

Below are some of the dangers associated with exposure to asbestos.

Asbestos-related diseases

Asbestos exposure is linked to many asbestos-related diseases. For instance, inhaling asbestos fibres causes various kinds of cancer, including mesothelioma, asbestosis, lung cancer, ovary cancer, and larynx cancer.

A report from the (ATSDR) Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry shows that the deaths of asbestosis patients are due to other causes. Up to 38 per cent die of lung cancer, while about 9 per cent of such deaths were actually mesothelioma patients.

Incidences of mesothelioma in Australia

Records from the Australian Mesothelioma registry show that deaths from mesothelioma rose to 641 in 2014. In addition, up to 10,000 Australians have been diagnosed with mesothelioma since the 1980s. It’s no surprise that the figure is this high, considering mesothelioma is the most common form of asbestos-related cancer.

Observations from studies on pleural plaques

Pleural plaques are thickened patches on the pleura. In 2013, a French study was published in the Journal of the National cancer institute. The study tracked over 5,000 asbestos workers while studying pleural plaques and the risk of mesothelioma.

About 20.4 per cent of workers were discovered to have pleural plaques. Up to 7.4 per cent of them developed pleural plaques as a result of asbestos exposure ranging from one to nine years. In addition, those with pleural plaques were roughly six to nine times more likely to develop mesothelioma in the future.

Pleural thickening

Heavy asbestos exposure can lead to a non-cancerous condition called pleural thickening. Although it is non-cancerous, it may crop up before certain mesothelioma cases.

Dangers of secondary asbestos exposure

You do not necessarily have to work directly with asbestos to be exposed to it. You do not even have to be in a building containing asbestos materials. Doctors think it is possible to contract asbestosis and mesothelioma from asbestos dust on another person’s clothing.

The possibility of being exposed to asbestos exists for those who had relatives working with asbestos in the 1950s or 1960s. For example, asbestos exposure could have occurred through contact with their clothes.

Exposure during renovations/remodelling

There is a chance of asbestos exposure if you are remodelling your home that was built before 1990. Inspect for asbestos first before carrying out the remodelling. This is the case even for simple repairs that involve pounding nails and ripping out old fibre boards.

Asbestos Exposure And Cancer Risk

Asbestos is highly fibrous in nature. The tiny fibres can be easily inhaled. The danger arises when the fibres become trapped in the lungs. Over time, this results in various asbestos-related diseases such as lung, ovary, and larynx cancer. Other types of asbestos exposure could result in skin cancer and liver cancer.

These are less common cancer types. Likewise, mesothelioma that occurs in the tummy (abdomen) is a rather rare cancer. Asbestos also causes diseases in other parts of the body. The signs of those diseases primarily affect the throat, stomach, and colon.

Asbestos and lung cancer

Exposure to asbestos fibres increases the likelihood of developing lung cancers and mesothelioma (cancer of the lining of the lung). Such cancers can develop decades after the exposure. Typically, asbestos exposure becomes more hazardous when a person inhales or swallows asbestos dust.

The risk associated with asbestos exposure depends on the following factors:

  • Duration of exposure to airborne asbestos fibres
  • Quantity of asbestos fibres that are inhaled
  • The frequency of exposure to asbestos fibres. Generally, this can determine the likelihood of one developing an asbestos-related disease.
  • Period of time that has passed since exposure occurred
  • The age of the affected person when the exposure occurred
  • The size and type of asbestos fibres

Occupational Risks Of Asbestos Exposure

The WHO (World Health Organisation) reports that around half of all workplace-related deaths globally result from asbestos exposure. Since asbestos-containing materials still exist in Australia, home renovators and those in the building trades need to be careful.

Workers need to be careful of construction materials, insulation products, friction brake products, gaskets, and vehicle and plant equipment whose installation, design, manufacture, or commission date is earlier than 2004.

The probability of being exposed to asbestos in the workplace is higher for transport/waterside workers, asbestos cement manufacturing workers, asbestos miners and millers, builders, insulators, electricians, plumbers, and mechanics.

Workplace health and safety laws

Work health and safety laws exist in every state and territory in Australia. You ought to know your duty of care as an employer and your responsibilities as a worker to reduce the risk of asbestos exposure.

Here are some of the health and safety laws you should follow as an employer:

  • Ensure workplace health and safety of your workers
  • It is your duty to control work-associated risks

As a worker, your responsibilities include the following.

  • It is your responsibility to reasonably care for your own health and safety
  • You should not negatively affect the health and safety of others
  • You are required to follow all reasonable instructions and workplace health and safety policies that you have been notified of

Managing Asbestos Exposure In The Workplace

People working with or around airborne asbestos are at an increased risk of developing cancer. Safe Work Australia has a guide on managing and controlling asbestos in the workplace. You can read it to know how to safely remove asbestos. Air monitoring is one way to check and manage exposure to asbestos.

It is also beneficial to have a record of potential asbestos exposures. That is the purpose of Australia’s National Asbestos Exposure Register. Your general health practitioner can use the record for individuals likely to develop an asbestos-related disease in the future. For asbestos exposure that occurs at work, it is useful to prepare an incident report.

After that, you may report such exposure to WorkSafe (even anonymously). Furthermore, you can take the final step of registering your exposure on the National Asbestos Exposure Register. Similarly, employers have to implement a workplace asbestos risk management plan. For instance, as an employer, you can create and update a register for identifying the locations of asbestos.

Include details such as date of identification, type of asbestos, asbestos-related conditions, photos, and so on. Regular training of workers is essential. They should understand the risks and safe practices, even when working with small amounts of asbestos-containing material. Express any concerns you have about being exposed to asbestos at work to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

Signs And Diagnosis Of Asbestos-Related Illnesses

Remember, asbestos-related illnesses may take decades to develop. That is why regular check-ups are necessary, even if the asbestos exposure occurred years ago. Symptoms of asbestos-related diseases typically have a latency period of up to 40 years after exposure.

Consequently, diagnosis of these diseases may be difficult until there is perhaps advanced cancer and symptoms start appearing. Signs that you have inhaled asbestos fibre include the following:

  • Persistent cough
  • Being short of breath
  • Fatigue or extreme tiredness
  • Wheezing
  • Chest pain or shoulder pain

Pleural plaques can arise from asbestos exposure causing reduced lung capacity. Such symptoms can become apparent in lung function tests, and a health practitioner can also reveal exposure through chest x-rays.

  • Chest x-rays are typically used to diagnose asbestosis
  • Other screening tests could include a CT scan of the lungs, pulmonary function tests, bronchoscopy, and spirometry.

Treatment For Asbestosis

For those who are thinking: I’ve been exposed to asbestos; what do I do? Your GP can refer you to a specialist in lung diseases for more tests.

Here are some treatments that can help.

  • Pulmonary rehabilitation exercises can help manage symptoms
  • Oxygen therapy using a machine or tank can improve breathlessness
  • An inhaler is useful in mild symptoms to ease breathing
  • Smoking increases the risk of lung cancer. So, it is crucial to stop smoking.
  • A flu vaccination and pneumococcal vaccination can bolster the lung against infections such as flu and pneumonia

Claiming Benefits And Compensation

Those diagnosed with asbestosis can claim compensation through:

  • Civil claims against previous employers
  • Government compensation
  • Industrial injuries disablement benefit

Support Services For People With Asbestosis

People with asbestosis can get help and support from organisations like the British Lung Foundation and the Asbestos Victims Support Groups Forum. You can find helpful information from medical and scientific studies and cancer research programs done by reputable organisations.

You can gain more insights into the causes and prevention of asbestos exposure as well as cancer treatment options. Mesothelioma patients can get pertinent information too.

Other Steps To Manage Asbestos

There are various sources of information about asbestos that you can refer to. For instance, you can get advice from your local council’s environmental health officer. Such advice could be directions to asbestos removal companies or simple steps needed to protect yourself.

While you may want to deal with asbestos in the home yourself, it is not advisable in certain situations. This is true even when air monitoring after fires has confirmed that the number of asbestos fibres released into the air is quite low. If you are cleaning up after a bushfire, you may disturb asbestos fibres and clumps that may remain in the ash.

Consequently, the risk of asbestos exposure increases. Follow all guidelines as regards asbestos health and safety in the workplace. According to the Occupational Health and Safety, only licensed asbestos removalists can handle large amounts of installed or fixed asbestos-containing material.

Hire A Licensed Asbestos Removal Company

Although from reading the above guide on what to do if exposed to asbestos, you are now more familiar with the symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment of asbestos-related diseases, how you can protect yourself, and the dangers of asbestos exposure.

In addition, you may have also learnt more about the occupational risks of asbestos exposure, workplace asbestos management, and support services for people with asbestos-related diseases.

However, you may still need to invite a licensed residential or commercial asbestos removal company. For instance, they can adequately assess your indoor air quality and advise you on the health risks and effects of exposure to asbestos. More importantly, they can remove and manage asbestos properly.

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