In any situation of asbestos-containing materials at home or work, it is better to be safe than sorry. There are still people in Canada that are not aware of the hazard of asbestos when renovating, restoring or demolishing a home or commercial building. We will list 5 facts about asbestos that will increase your awareness of this dangerous material:
1. Asbestos is a very tough material.
Asbestos is a fibrous element that used to be very popular between the decades of the 50s to 90s. Its popularity is due to its insulation properties and because it is fire and chemical resistant. This low-cost material was used in construction materials all around the world.
2. A tiny little fibre of asbestos can change your life.
When an asbestos-containing material is disturbed, its fine fibres can hang in the air for hours, increasing the risk of breathing and lodging them in the lungs without even noticing. Once in the lungs, people normally start developing respiratory conditions symptoms after more than ten years of having inhaled asbestos fibres. This is the reason why asbestos is called the hidden killer.
3. It is fatal.
One of the scariest facts about asbestos is that it is capable of causing serious, incurable diseases that are not immediately revealed. As we said, these afflictions take between 15 and 20 years to affect a person’s health, and when the ailment is identified, it is generally too late. Asbestos exposure is responsible for mesothelioma, a type of lung cancer that affects the lining of the lungs and the lower digestive tract. It is also capable of causing asbestos-related lung cancer, asbestosis, and pleural thickening. All varieties of asbestos are carcinogens class 1, culpable of cancer in humans.
4. It is the number one killer of workers in BC.
More workers have died from an asbestos disease that any other workplace injuries since 2000. According to Work Safe BC, due to the lack of education and improper safety suits and equipment when working with asbestos, for the past two decades, the deaths related to asbestos exposure have been constantly increasing. From 2005 to 2014, deaths from asbestos-related illnesses have been rising by 45%. Work Safe BC also states that the deaths may growth, because of its long periods of diseases development. In 2014, one person died in BC every five days from work-related exposure to asbestos.
5. IT CAN BE FOUND ALMOST EVERYWHERE.
Asbestos-containing materials had common applications in residential homes or commercial buildings constructed before 1990. Some of its uses are found in columns, beams, walls and ceilings as fire protection, also in boilers, vessels, tanks and pipes as mechanical insulation, vermiculite as insulation for attics, drywall, sheet flooring, floor tiles, cement board, tiles and pipes, and textured and decorative finishes on walls and ceilings, among others.
These are the 5 facts about asbestos. Are you concerned about having asbestos at your home or business? Don’t risk your health and the health of your loved ones, leave the work to professionals. If you have a renovation project in mind and are unsure of how to handle it properly, A&D Demolition and Asbestos Removal is a North Vancouver-based company with over 10 years of industry background.
You can rely on our experience to handle any situation of demolition and asbestos removal, eliminating any risk in the process. Your safety is our number one responsibility, and we offer a quality job at a reasonable price. We take care of every step from demolition to transport and disposal of all waste and hazardous materials. Our experience enables us to do a hassle free demotion project without any environmental issues. Contact us for a free quote!