Asbestos Encasement

The dangers of asbestos have been known for a very long time and even the companies that made billions off of asbestos products have long since given up defending the virtues of asbestos. Unfortunately, there were way too many years between identifying the dangers of asbestos and getting asbestos pulled off the market but finally new asbestos products have been almost universally banned.

The biggest problem with asbestos today is dealing with the past. People still suffer from mesothelioma and other respiratory problems caused by asbestos. Perhaps an even bigger problem is how to deal with the asbestos that is still out there in older buildings, concrete and insulation. For more than half of the 20th century asbestos was used just about anywhere that required insulation. It was just about everywhere out there - and still is.

Of course the public outcry against asbestos called for the immediate removal of all asbestos anywhere people were exposed to the hazard. However, this is often easier said than done. In all too many cases the biggest expense involved in renovating an older building is dealing with asbestos. Often the expense of totally removing asbestos has prevented renovation of older buildings. Demolishing or renovating old buildings used to be easy but not anymore.

For many years asbestos removal was at a stand still. Those companies that could afford to remove asbestos insulation in their buildings had already done so; often at great expense. Those companies with smaller financial resources usually just left their old buildings alone and delayed dealing with the asbestos. Finally in the 1990s governments started to approve alternate ways of dealing with asbestos in buildings.

Currently there are 3 approved ways of dealing with asbestos in older buildings. Removal is still the preferred way, but is very expensive and not entirely without dangers. Simply getting the asbestos out exposes it to people. The trick and expense in asbestos removal is keeping it out of the air and away from people. An additional problem with asbestos removal is you have to install new insulation and fireproofing, usually fiberglass, to replace the asbestos you are removing.

A second way of dealing with asbestos is called encapsulation. This involves actually building a structure around the asbestos so that it is totally contained. In some cases this is a viable option but usually it is almost as expensive as removal. Many buildings cannot handle the extra weight of the encapsulation structure.

The third way of dealing with asbestos is called encasement. With this procedure a special 2-part coating is sprayed over the asbestos totally preventing exposure to the fibers. The first coat is a primer that binds with the asbestos fibers, holds them in place and also prepares the surface for the second coat. The second coat is the sealer that does just that, totally sealing off the asbestos.

Independent testing of encasement has shown that the final surface is completely safe. There are no airborne fibers or other volatile substances coming off the surface. It is totally harmless. In the field, encasement has proven to be more than 50 percent less expensive compared to removal and can be done in half the time and with much less labor expense. The big drawback with encasement is the asbestos is still there but as long as the building isn't changed or demolished the encasement coating renders the asbestos totally harmless.

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Why You May Need to Perform an Asbestos Survey

In recent years the true danger of asbestos has come to light. Since the material was banned in 1999 a great deal of time and money has been spent on raising asbestos awareness and taking measures to ensure the safe handling and treatment of asbestos in both domestic and non-domestic properties. Although asbestos itself might not pose a danger in some cases: any environment in which asbestos fibres may become airborne presents a severe health risk.

In line with the strict stipulations set out by the Health and Safety Executive, it is absolutely imperative that duty holders take measures to establish whether Asbestos Containing Material (ACM) is present in non-domestic premises. In some cases it may be possible for the duty holder to perform an asbestos survey themselves; but in the majority of cases and particularly in buildings which were constructed or in which maintenance or refurbishment was undertaken between 1950 and 1999 - it is only by using a reputable professional that absolute compliance with HSE directives can be assured.

Consequentially, with the exception of premises constructed post 1999, an asbestos survey and the subsequent action in the event of finding asbestos is almost invariably best undertaken by an expert with accreditation and experience in the carrying out of an asbestos survey.

Performing an Asbestos Survey

The initial stage of an asbestos survey is a materials assessment. This assessment is performed to establish:

* Whether Asbestos Containing Material is present and if it is; the type, location and volume found.
* How accessible any present Asbestos Containing Material is, its condition and any evidence of surface treatment.
* The type of asbestos found - either by sampling or presuming.

In addition to the materials assessment, the surveyor is also tasked with confirming that:

* There is no risk that any individual will be harmed by the presence of Asbestos Containing Material in the premises or equipment.
* If Asbestos Containing Material is present that it remains in good condition.
* Any Asbestos Containing Material that may be present is not at risk of being accidentally disturbed.

If any of the above factors are not deemed to be the case then an asbestos management plan must be put in place which outlines how the asbestos is to be handled in order to ensure that premises is rendered safe to occupy.

As Asbestos Containing Material is only a serious hazard when there is a risk of exposure to asbestos fibres, or a risk that disturbance of Asbestos Containing Material will result in the release of asbestos fibres, it is not always best to remove it. In fact, an attempt by an unqualified individual to remove asbestos often results in the development of a considerably more hazardous environment than if the Asbestos Containing Material had been left as it was. A professional asbestos surveyor is able to asses if Asbestos Containing Material must be removed or whether it is 100% safe to leave in the premises.

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Facts About Asbestos on Offshore Oil Rigs and Land Rigs

Almost everyone in the United States has heard the word "asbestos" during the last 20 years. It is common knowledge that asbestos was used to make many products including insulation, roofing materials and other residential and commercial building products. However, it is less known that asbestos was also used in the oil field industry including on land rigs as well as offshore oil rigs. If you worked in the oil field on land or offshore, it is possible that you were previously exposed to asbestos. You should know the following information.

Asbestos is the term used to describe several naturally occurring minerals. These minerals have various geological names but together are commonly referred to as asbestos-type minerals. One common characteristic is that they all can produce very minute fibers which easily break apart and are disbursed throughout the air. It is these fibers that are typically inhaled into a worker's lungs ultimately causing injury. An individual's body cannot in any way process these fibers, and thus they remain in an individual's body forever.

The oil field, both on land as well as off shore, began using asbestos products during the 1960s and continued through the mid to late 1980s. Asbestos products were used as additives in connection with the drilling mud used for offshore and on land drilling. Asbestos provided heat resistant properties as well as a cohesive property, or bonding agent, which was very beneficial when mixed with drilling mud. Several of these asbestos-related products were actually pure asbestos fibers which workers were required to mix directly into the drilling mud.

Asbestos-related medical problems include the well known cancer mesothelioma. This refers to a very specific asbestos-only related cancer which typically occurs in the lungs, abdomen, heart area or testicles. Asbestosis is the asbestos-related condition of having actual asbestos fibers contained within a person's lungs. Lung cancer can sometimes be indirectly related to a person's past asbestos exposure. It is medically documented that asbestos within a person's lungs greatly increases the chance of that person suffering lung cancer. This is especially true with smokers who have previously been exposed to asbestos. Although these individuals may believe that their lung cancer is solely related to their past smoking history, in fact asbestos may have played a significant role in contributing to their lung cancer.

The good news for workers who were previously exposed to asbestos in the oil and gas industry is that maritime law and a federal law known as the Jones Act may provide relief for these workers if they worked offshore or on drilling barges on the water. Under maritime law and the Jones Act, claims can be filed directly against past employers for any asbestos-related exposure that a worker may have experienced while working for these past employers. This situation typically arises in regard to oil rigs in the Gulf of Mexico and drilling barges which operated from the 1960s through the mid to late 1980s. Many of the workers on these oil rigs and drilling barges were exposed to asbestos and they may just be beginning to experience asbestos-related health problems because many asbestos-related health problems do not surface or "manifest" until decades after the worker's exposure to asbestos.

It is important for any worker who has been exposed to asbestos and believes he may have suffered an asbestos-related injury to fully explore his legal remedies. If this worker previously worked offshore on jack-up or semi-submersible drilling rigs, he can pursue claims directly against his previous employer under the Jones Act and maritime law. This can be a very powerful remedy since many of the manufacturers of asbestos products have now gone into bankruptcy protection. Claims under the Jones Act and maritime law can be filed directly against past employers, many of which are still viable, available defendants.

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Do You Know The Method Of Asbestos Testing?

Asbestos testing is a very important process, since people know the dangers of this mineral (asbestos is a group of fibrous metamorphic minerals of the hydrous magnesium silicate variety). Most asbestos fibers are invisible to the human eye because their size.

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 testing should always be done by an expert.

For asbestos testing the requirement of EPA is the polarized light microscopy (PLM asbestos test method) analysis with specialized microscopes. The results of asbestos testing establish the percentage and type of asbestos present in the sample material.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA or sometimes USEPA) is an agency of the federal government of the United States charged with protecting human health and with safeguarding the natural environment: air, water, and land. The EPA began operation on December 2, 1970. The current Administrator (as of 2006) is Stephen L. Johnson.

Asbestos Fiber Analysis (PLM Test Method)

The purpose of the Bulk Asbestos Program is to accredit testing laboratories to assure that they are competent to analyze bulk samples for asbestos testing, using polarized light microscopy (PLM).
National Institute of Standards and Technology (formerly the National Bureau of Standards) develop an accreditation program for laboratories conducting analyses of bulk samples of asbestos-containing material.

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Three Deadly Diseases That Affect Asbestos Plant Workers

By the term asbestos, we refer to all those fibrous minerals that are used as an element to resist heat or fire. Asbestos is dug from rocks that are metamorphic in nature. Asbestos plant workers are employed for the purpose of digging asbestos from the rocks. This has put most of the workers in this profession at risk because they are in contact with asbestos. When exposed to asbestos, people can suffer from various diseases such as lung cancer, mesothelioma, asbestosis, pleural plagues, etc. These asbestos related diseases are on the rise particularly in countries like the United States.

These ailments caused by exposure to asbestos are deadly because till date there has been no cure for most of these diseases. So it is very important for asbestos plant workers to be careful when they are working in an environment that has asbestos. They have to take extra precautions so that they do not breathe in the asbestos fibers.

In the early days, people in Greece noticed the harmful effects of asbestos on people working with asbestos to turn it into cloth. In recent times, the death tolls started to rise in those places where asbestos mines were situated and this made people investigate the properties of asbestos.

Those companies that were engaged in producing goods from asbestos decided to overlook the harmful effects of asbestos and as a result, the asbestos plant workers became prone to asbestos related diseases. Several lawsuits have been made against the asbestos companies because of the adverse effects of asbestos on the plant workers.

Some Diseases Affecting The Plant Workers

The diseases that affect the asbestos plant workers are as follows:

Asbestosis

When the plant workers inhale or take in asbestos fibers, they are putting themselves at risk of getting asbestosis. After inhaling the asbestos fibers, the worker's lung suffers from inflammation and irritation. This disease is not cancerous which means that it does not lead to cancer. Initially, the body of the worker tries to protect it self by fighting with these fibers but this will further make the matter worse by harming the cell and causing inflammation.

The worker may not know that he has asbestosis because this is only discovered though x-ray. He will not feel or experience any symptoms, which will make him come to a conclusion that he might be suffering from asbestosis. The airways and the air sacs of the worker's lung may be blocked by scar tissues or fibrosis that grows near these air passages. This will make the worker feel uncomfortable while breathing. In fact, the more the scar tissues or fibrosis grow the more complicated it will be for the worker to breathe properly. When an asbestos plant worker has asbestosis, he will cough and will not be able to breathe normally.

These symptoms will deteriorate with time even when the worker is not being exposed to asbestos anymore because this disease is progressive in nature. Even though it is rare but some times this disease can be deadly. Such an ailment can harm both the lungs of the worker. It means that it is not restricted to one lung only. Those who are suffering from this disease are more prone to develop mesothelioma or lung cancer. Currently, no cure has been found for this kind of disease and this is one of the reasons why all the plants' workers are asked to be very careful while they are at work.

Mesothelioma

Mesothelioma or malignant mesothelioma is a disease where tumor develops in the body of the asbestos plant workers when they are exposed to asbestos fibers. This tumor has the propensity to extend or multiply to various body parts and hence, this disease is considered to be fatal. Mesothelioma either develops in the abdomen or chest cavity. There are also cases where the tumor grows in the cavity close to the heart. Studies have shown that men workers are more prone to develop this disease as compared to women. Research has also shown that Mesothelioma is more common among the Caucasians. Actually, this type of disease is not common but once it attacks a person it can be very risky.

Lung cancer

This disease is regarded as one of the most deadly diseases where the tissue in the lung is transformed and expanded. Exposure to asbestos can lead to lung cancer in the asbestos plant workers.

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UK Asbestos Regulations

Asbestos has been one of the most discussed health topics of the last few decades. This is due to the fact that it emits invisible fibres that can have harmful effects on anyone who comes into contact with them for prolonged periods.

Research has shown that these fibres are the catalyst for many diseases including Lung Cancer, Pleural Thickening and Mesothelioma. With this research in mind, and conclusive proof that asbestos kills, many governments from around the world have hastened to ban the usage of this mineral in any form. Many laws and legislation have been put in place to ensure that asbestos is not imported manufactured or used.

Like other governments from around the world, the UK government has taken steps to prohibit the usage of asbestos. Many laws have been passed for this purpose.

Below are some examples of the laws approved by the UK Government against the usage and import of asbestos into the country in any form.

Asbestos (Licensing) Regulations (1983) Asbestos (Prohibition) Laws (1999) Control of Asbestos at Work Regulations (2002) Control of Asbestos Regulations (2006)

The Asbestos (Licensing) Regulations were put in place in 1983. The key features of these regulations being:

To ensure that all asbestos related insulating work is carried out by licensed contractors. This clause was added in 1998 The contractors need to file an application at least 14 days prior to the day work is to commence for approval. The law was amended to include this clause in 2003 The contractors need to follow certain terms and conditions which must be in accordance with the approved code of practice The Asbestos (Licensing) Regulations was replaced by Control of Asbestos Regulation in 2006

The Asbestos (Prohibition) Laws were implemented in 1999 and have the following key features:

This law was actually accepted in 1985 and banned the use and import of Blue Asbestos (Crocodilite) and Brown Asbestos (Amosite). In 1999, this law was modified to include the prohibited usage of White Asbestos (Chrysotile). In 2002 the import of White Asbestos (Chrysotile) was banned and included in the law. In 2006 this law was replaced by Control of Asbestos Regulations.

2002 saw the implementation of the Control of Asbestos at Work Regulations. The following points offer a general overview of these regulations:

These regulations set a limit to the amount of asbestos a person may be exposed to Conditions need to be completely controlled when work with asbestos is to take place. This was implemented in 1987 Asbestos based materials in any construction or building needs to be properly recognized In 1993 it was made law to replace these materials whenever and wherever possible In 2002 it was made necessary to properly manage and identify all asbestos related materials In 2006 this law was replaced by The Control of Asbestos Regulations

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Risk factors for diseases of asbestos

For the eyes of the public without mistrust, asbestos is a miracle material to protect their homes and other materials to contract easily fire. But behind these benefits for owners, industry workers suffer from hazards to health which are often fatal.

Asbestos has been mainly used for fireproofing of houses; It was also popular as a roof. However, in recent years, several diseases have been linked to it and it is obvious that many more is discovered which may be rooted directly to asbestos.

But, asbestos, as it is, does not actually causes the disease. Instead, the culprit is known to be the asbestos fibre from damaged asbestos materials. They accumulate through the State of continuous deterioration of asbestos products, said the roof of your attic. Once there are conditions that led to the achievement of the asbestos, it is likely that the material will release asbestos fibres may be sent to the air. The danger now comes when a person inhales asbestos fibres as it will likely remain in the passages of air - the lungs, leaving the fibres can cause diseases of asbestos.

It is has higher risk but in some industrial workplaces such as mines, shipyards, construction sites and railway, since there is degrees more high use of asbestos. Thus, people who have worked in these places are likely to have greater risks of contracting diseases of asbestos. It is also the reason why mesothelioma, cancer of the larynx or asbestosis are considered as occupational diseases.

There are several risk factors which largely determines the likelihood that you will contract the diseases of asbestos. These include the following:

Concentration - diseases of asbestos will develop only at the level of exposure. There should be enough concentration of asbestos in the air we breathe before we even start to develop the disease of asbestos in silence. If this concentration is not met, the probability that a person to contract the disease is very low, even if you were around a dilapidated House roof made of asbestos, which is not yet enough reason for your body reacts violently. Companies engaged in the regulation of the level of asbestos fibre in the atmosphere of the building are very low risk of jeopardizing the health of their workers.

Duration - asbestos exposure have a relatively long period of time before the person is in danger.

Dose - there is a certain combination of concentration and duration which limits the ability of the person to resist disease. Once the immune system is violated, the person is likely to suffer a continuous development of asbestos disease usually know the presence of the disease.

Asbestos diseases are generally sensitive to dose. This means that, with a longer exposure, recently higher dosage of exposure to asbestos fibre. Therefore, there is high risk of contracting and diseases.

In General, the development of asbestos disease depends on this principle of dose-response. People who have worked in industries that make use of asbestos concentration are more at risk of developing diseases asbestos than those who have used materials asbestos once in the room only. Similarly, a period of 15 years against 5 years in an asbestos mine has a large risk factor to build quantities of asbestos fibers in the body.

But the greatest danger is that the two are sensitive to the asbestos diseases and other diseases related to asbestos and inflammatory. It's health such as cancer of the lung conditions and those affecting the mesothelium, the tissue that lines many body organs that are most vulnerable to the diseases of asbestos.

But the problem of asbestos diseases take decades before that initial symptoms of disease are seen. This is the reason why people who have worked in workplaces exposed asbestos only to discover that they are sick after 20 to 50 years. Members of the family of these people are also at risk because asbestos fibre can be transferred to the air.

The time of the initial exposure to the first signs of symptoms is called the latency period. As we said, this may take anywhere from 20 to 50 years. But the shorter latency period is 5 to 10 years, but this is relatively rare. It is likely, the victim will never get rid of the asbestos fibre once it is inhaled or ingested. This is because asbestos fibres remain trapped in the lungs for life.

There is hope in treatment but yet there are no cures for some diseases asbestos. The best thing one can do is to help to alleviate

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The silent killer lurking in your industry - industrial risks of asbestos revealed

What is the industrial asbestos risk of your work place? The mesothelioma risk attached to various industries can be plotted on a continuum: from high industrial asbestos risk - to the least risk.

Firstly, you must identify asbestos content inherent to your building, equipment, raw materials or products. Then compares this information with mesothelioma statistics for your industry.

Exposure to asbestos is the main risk factor for developing mesothelioma injury. The mesothelioma injury normally develops in to full fledged mesothelioma lung cancer.

Asbestos is a family of fibrous minerals made of silicate.

Asbestos Fibers were once used in many products such as thermal asbestos insulation, pipes, asbestos tiles, door gaskets, asbestos siding, soundproofing, roofing, asbestos flooring, guttering, ceilings, patching compounds, fireproof gloves and ironing board covers, brake pads, paints, pencils and even portable hair dryers.

When asbestos fibers are processed and separated, it forms a microscopic dust that can be easily inhaled. If inhaled and not excreted by the body, it can collect in the lungs and stomach and eventually lead to the development of serious, life threatening diseases.

Industrial environments with high risk of asbestos exposure

Asbestos is classified as a toxic substance. It use is regulated by asbestos mesothelioma law. Despite global asbestos control measures, many workers are however, still at risk of asbestos exposure. We will discuss a couple of industrial environments where high levels of the toxic asbestos fibers may be found.

Asbestos mining, asbestos processing and other underground mining

Asbestos exposure of miners can come from either naturally occurring asbestos in the ore or host rock gold from asbestos contained in manufactured products.

Metal and Nonmetal Mines: The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), other research organizations like EPA and scientists have noted the occurrence of cancers and asbestosis among miners involved in the mining and milling of commodities that contain asbestos.

Mining activities, such as blasting, cutting, crushing, grinding, or simply disturbing the ore or surrounding earth may cause asbestos fibers to become airborne.

Asbestos mines are still operational in many third world countries. These countries and their neighboring countries still operate asbestos processing plants. Now that is high industrial asbestos risk! Asbestos ore is therefore still being transported between the mines and the plants by rail - road transport gold.

Without legal precedents of asbestos lawsuits, mesothelioma and asbestos settlements, the citizens of these countries are helpless claims. In the South African town of Kimberley, one hospital reports 39 new cases of malignant mesothelioma lung cancer every month diagnosis.

Asbestos mesothelioma law, banning the mining of asbestos and constraining the processing of asbestos, was only passed during 2008 by the South African parliament.

Construction or demolition sites

Asbestos used to be the preferred material for the production of building materials for many decades. Because of its strength and durability, asbestos products were generally used between 1950 and 1975.

Construction workers and builders who tear down and alter old buildings will encounter any of these products. Complete asbestos homes, called pre-fab homes, were also in great demand. Many older buildings still contain the mineral.

Their work disturbs the asbestos fibers and the toxic asbestos dust is released into the air. Such workers experience high industrial asbestos risk. The codes of good practice for asbestos abatement should be supervised, to prevent inhalation of the asbestos dust by the workers.

Power plants and mobile generators and welders

Asbestos fibers are highly heat resistant. It is also well known for its poor electrical conductivity. Asbestos insulation used to be the material of choice for the thermal insulation of power plants and mobile generators.

Therefore many of the broilers and generators in power plants are lined with various forms of asbestos.

Safety protocols should be followed as a part their employers standing asbestos management plan, as required by law. If such a plan had not been previously implemented by the use, they should discuss the relevant laws with their employers.

Shipyards

The shipbuilding industry employed hundreds of asbestos-containing products as components of the ships they were building. Because of this practice during the 1930s, 40s and 50s, thousands of shipyard workers worked with asbestos in various applications. They received high levels of asbestos exposure over prolonged periods.

Therefore shipyard workers are considered a very high risk group of industrial asbestos risk, and therefore potential asbestos exposure. They are still at risk today, when performing other maintenance or cleaning operations on older ships. The asbestos content of such ships are normally aged and Profondeur.

Automotive mechanic shops

Asbestos materials are known for its properties of hardness, durability and heat resistance. For decades, many older manufacturing plants used asbestos to manufacture breaks and clutch linings.

There is evidence that mechanics working on older vehicles may be at risk of asbestos exposure. Their work environment is therefore considered to have a high industrial asbestos risk.

Steel mills

Asbestos insulation is used during the construction of steel mills, because of its properties of heat resistance and poor heat conductivity.

Steel mill workers work in an environment of high industrial asbestos risk.

Buildings built before the 1980s

Most commercial-, government-and school buildings from this period contain asbestos products of some kind. Because people work in these buildings we aslo cfxkucdng them as high industrial asbestos risk. The danger occurs as the asbestos building materials begin to age and deteriorate. Natural disasters may damage such buildings, as seen recently globally.

All people should become knowledgeable about asbestos, where and in what forms it was used. They will then be enabled to manage their own safety.

Geography of The Asbestos Industry

Statistically, it was proven that individuals living near asbestos manufacturing plants live under high industrial asbestos risk. Asbestos fibers leaking into the surrounding air and water find its way into their bodies and leads to high malignant mesothelioma diagnosis figures.

Mesothelioma claims

If you or one of your loved ones have ever worked in a job with high industrial asbestos risk, you could save troubled much by already keeping careful notes of the products, suppliers, manufacturers, equipment, buildings etc, relevant to asbestos exposure at your work place.

It is never good to live in fear. However, it would be prudent to keep this log. If you or any of your close relative receive the diagnosis malignant mesothelioma at any later stage, these records could expedite a successful asbestos settlement in your favour.

Pieter Pepler is a management consultant to small and medium enterpises. He has a keen interest in in health aspects and spends much of his time researching and writing about the causes and alternative treatment options for the natural treatment of various chronic diseases.

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Asbestos Cancer Lawyer - Your Hope For Your Family's Future

Are you looking for the best asbestos cancer lawyer? If you know anyone who is inflicted with asbestos cancer, or what is medically known as mesothelioma, then you know what a grave condition this is, not just for the person involved, but also for his family, co-workers and friends. He or she would need a very competent lawyer to defend his case and he needs one now!

There are a number of asbestos lawyers around in every state and in some regions of the globe. Asbestos lawyers specialize in litigating cases involving asbestos cancer patients, people who have been exposed to asbestos, and the dangers of asbestos to society in general. The best asbestos lawyer will know just what to do in order to help you and your family get compensated for being inflicted with such a disease, including provision of medical insurance, and taking care of all medical bills.

Where does this cancer come from? This cancer or mesothelioma is a very serious and fatal condition. Particles from asbestos attack the lining of the person's internal organs leading to cancer. Those inflicted with it can only hope to survive in the next year or so. What will become of their families? What if they are the sole breadwinner, or what if they had their life ahead of them and were meant for greater opportunities? These are the things that are put at risk the moment you let the dangers of asbestos infiltrate your life, and the lives of our future generation. With the help of asbestos lawyers, particularly a good asbestos cancer lawyer, future lives can be saved, and the mesothelioma patient together with his family can get heavily compensated.

Asbestos lawyers like an asbestos cancer lawyer, not only defend mesothelioma patients. The best ones also help in the dissemination of information about the dangers of asbestos and advocate against the use of it. Asbestos is a popular human carcinogen and when exposed to great amounts, it can result to asbestosis or mesothelioma. It is a pretty rare disease since people are not normally exposed to it. And asbestos cancer lawyer will tell you that for those who have been exposed, whether unknowingly or not, diagnosis of having cancer can only come later in life. And once the diagnosis is final, the person inflicted will only have about 1-2 years to live depending on the amount of asbestos in his system. By having all asbestos lawyers work together towards the same goal, and getting the best asbestos cancer lawyer for those who already have this type of cancer, asbestos may be fully eradicated from being used in many products.

Find the best asbestos cancer lawyer now and begin the healing process. Having the best lawyer may be your only hope to secure your family's future.

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Signs of Asbestos in Our Homes and Jobs

Asbestos is a common building material used for applications like insulation, fireproofing and brake linings. Its relatively high resistance to acid and fire make it ideally suited for such tasks and explains why, despite the hazard it poses to humans, signs of asbestos usage is still found in manufacturing and construction even today.

At its simplest, asbestos is a fiber made of strands of magnesium silicate. Asbestos' incredible strength even in the face of high force comes from its ability to split into smaller and smaller fibers. But this durability is also what makes it so dangerous. The fibers can become so small that they remain airborne for long periods of time and pass into the lungs unhindered by dust-filtering mechanisms.

Asbestos comes in two forms: serpentine and amphibole. The difference between the two comes down to shape. Serpentine asbestos fibers are curly while amphibole are needle-like and resist any bending or curling. Serpentine asbestos comes in one type: chrysotile, which is currently the commercially used asbestos. Amphibole can be classified as amosite, used for insulation, or crocidolite, used for cement.

Asbestos has been around for centuries, but it was not until the 1900s that people began to note the harmful effects and try to limit its use. As early as the 1800s, however, railroads and shipyards started making commercial use of asbestos. Railroads were able to harness the material as lining for refrigeration units, in boxcars, and for insulation. Shipyards used asbestos even more frequently; those who worked aboard ships or in shipyards are still among the most commonly affected sufferers of asbestos-related diseases. Workers in mines, power plants, oil refiners, steel mills, auto repair shops, and construction sites are also at risk.

Regarded as a miraculous material able to withstand a wide array of uses, asbestos found its way into a plethora of products up until about 1980. Things like felt, gloves, and even weatherproof jackets may have contained asbestos. Often it appeared in products used in construction, such as firebrick, cooling towers, roofing, masonry fill, and turbines. Today, asbestos may still be present in homes and workplaces in the form of drywall, insulation, and certain household products, if they were produced before the 1970s.

A key difficulty in protecting against asbestos exposure is that it is not visible when airborne. The best defense is understanding the types of products where asbestos may still be present. Some products are known to have included asbestos, such as roofing and shingles made with asbestos cement, and oil and coal furnaces. Homes built between 1930 and 1950 are at particular risk, as many contain asbestos insulation, as well as hot water and steam pipes that may be affected.

In the workplace, federal agencies have set limits on how much asbestos workers can be exposed to, but employees are also required to monitor their own exposure. Unlike in the past, today businesses must strictly limit the amount of asbestos their employees could potentially inhale. They're also required to provide safe, unexposed eating areas and place signs in any area where work involving asbestos is being conducted.

Despite warnings and improvements, more than 3,000 modern day products still contain asbestos. Building materials in particular remain a hazard to those who handle or come in contact with them. But signs that a product contains asbestos may be difficult or even impossible to notice. The best defense therefore is awareness of which products are likely to contain asbestos.

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Five Reasons to Hire Specialists For Asbestos Removal

Twenty five years ago, most people thought very little of the word "asbestos." It wasn't until factory laborers and other people started turning up with terminal illnesses brought on by steady exposure to the substance that anyone realized how deadly that one little word could, in fact, be.

Since then, building regulations have become smarter about the handling of asbestos, and virtually no new buildings use the substance for insulation. This is good news for everyone. So why is this article about why you should hire asbestos specialists for safe asbestos removal? Because, though greatly reduced, the threat is not yet gone.

Here are five reasons to hire asbestos specialists for your home or building's asbestos removal:

1. You need peace of mind and clarity. Did you know that asbestos could still be a part of your life? You are probably wondering how because you just read that it is now banned in building insulation materials. Unfortunately, the 1978 ban allowed installers to use up remaining stocks. This means that homes and office buildings that were built as late as 1986 could very easily still have asbestos lurking in their insulation.

2. Asbestos requires great care in its removal. If fibers of asbestos were enormous, no one would have anything to worry about. But they're not. Asbestos easily drifts into the air, and is even more easily ingested into the lungs, the closer it gets to the ground. Over time, small doses can lead to big problems, as you are about to see.

3. Freed asbestos poses cancer risks. Mesothelioma is a rare form of lung cancer caused directly from exposure to asbestos fibers. It is a malignant cancer for which there is no cure. A patient who suffers from Mesothelioma will experience any of the following leading up to death: chest wall pain, shortness of breath, anemia, coughing of blood, abdominal pain, problems with bowel function, jaundice, and blood clots of the arteries and lungs.

4. Freed asbestos poses other health risks. Mesothelioma is not the only health risk caused by asbestos. Asbestosis occurs when asbestos causes scarring of the lung tissue that interferes greatly with normal respiratory function. This leads quickly to shortness of breath and additional types of cancer, and it can be 5-10 years after constant exposure before the symptoms even become apparent.

5. More than one life is at risk. If you have a family or work in an office with your colleagues, you are all at risk. Most of us could handle something happening to ourselves more than we could our loved ones. Think about this before you decide to ignore the need for asbestos removal.

Never take chances with your life or somebody else's. It is easy to think you are not because the effects of asbestos are rarely immediate. However, that does not mean they are any less deadly. In fact, the effects of asbestos can result in something far worse than immediate death or injury, because asbestos can cause long and painful consequences. So if you suspect asbestos removal is necessary, hire someone who knows what they are doing. Hire asbestos specialists.

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How you and your family can stay safe with asbestos awareness training

The objective of the asbestos awareness training is to provide employees with primary knowledge of asbestos, its danger and ability to recognize supplies typical asbestos discovered in the workplace. Realizing where it is found can help employees avoid lethal exposure of this mineral.

What is asbestos?

Asbestos is a bouquet of minerals found almost everywhere in nature and a fibrous substance. They are present in fireproof items, electrical insulation, cement, building supplies, roof shingles, ceiling plaster, brake linings, chemical filters and many other types of construction elements. Tiny asbestos particles can become airborne, particularly in the manufacture of elements that have asbestos. These particles can be inhaled, causing mesothelioma, lung cancer and other conditions related to asbestos.

Asbestos is seen in many houses, schools and other types of buildings and is the reason why asbestos awareness is so essential. In the workplace or asbestos House will be more often considered insulation above the ceilings and metal beams in the ceiling and 1981 before produced pavers insulation around pipes. With respect to the stone most of 9 inches and a few tiles 12 tiles inches will include asbestos in the event where they have been manufactured before 1981.

Asbestos from a danger in your office building?

If a building has the asbestos-containing materials, a sign will be placed near any major door alerting everyone to its existence. Also, if the asbestos-containing-isolation are a label or sticker is able to identify the prospective threat.

Means useful to prevent exposure

Understand where asbestos is the only way, you can avoid it. Always assume that all potential asbestos have asbestos except a confirmed to the contrary. Simply by looking at the ceiling tiles, floor tiles, acoustic or decorative ceilings, electrical insulation, and other types of materials normally leave you know if they include asbestos. The only way to establish with certainty whether a material containing asbestos is of environmental health and delete samples and study in a laboratory, Department of security. By no means a sample your own because it will perhaps cause particles to become airborne and you submit to the exhibition.

If a material is marked as containing asbestos or you think that he could perhaps understand hazardous asbestos, such as tile floor of 9 inches or decorative ceiling tiles, you must not disturb it. Never cut, disturb, move, hammer, saw, break or damage any equipment that you suspects could include this lethal mineral.

You must first check with the Department of safety and environmental health before doing any work such as fixing or replacing the ceiling or tile, replacing or fixing insulation around pipes, or removing ceilings "popcorn". This includes the travel side ceiling tiles to perform any kind of maintenance. Before performing any work you must first decide if the material contains asbestos. Once you have verified that the articles are harmless, work can be done. Nevertheless, if asbestos is found, it should be removed or sealed by qualified professionals before any work is done.

If all elements containing asbestos are discovered, they must be reported to the health of the environment and the Ministry of security. Until you have absolutely proven that ceiling tiles, pavers or projected plaster does not include asbestos, you try should not perform any work on them. If you find may be hazardous materials shall take measures to prevent others from entering into contact with hazardous materials or disturb it until a team of professional asbestos abatement can it clean. Realizing articles containing asbestos and where they can help you avoid the exposure for yourself and others.

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Know About Asbestos Regulations

When you're looking to removing asbestos at home or at work, there are certain asbestos regulations that you should be aware of. First and foremost, you should know that asbestos can be a health hazard. That's why you should know some information about it. You should understand that you should be concerned about it even if you're not an industry worker yourself. There are certain parts of your home, school, or building that may contain asbestos. That is why it's important to know about asbestos regulations even though you're not in that industry.

Asbestos is a certain mineral fiber more commonly used in various building materials. They can be seen in roof shingles, shingle sidings, ceilings, cement products, floor tiles, and even in some paper products. They can also be used in automobiles such as in brakes, transmission, clutch, gaskets, and even in the clutch. Asbestos is great in resisting collision and is a great fire-retardant. However, being exposed to asbestos may impose a serious risk. It can be inhaled into your lungs where it can cause some tissue build-up. In a couple of years after being exposed to asbestos, it can be the cause of serious diseases related to your lung or respiratory system. In some cases, it can even be the cause of death. That's why you should know about the removal of asbestos and the asbestos regulations involved.

Now that you have an idea on what asbestos and what it can cause, it's time to know the common sources of exposure to asbestos. At home or in various buildings such as the office or school, asbestos could be found in damaged or deteriorating insulation, acoustical materials, fireproofing, and floor tiles. It can be in the ceiling, shingle siding, or flooring. In commercial areas, especially in schools, regulations state that owners, administration, or management should have an asbestos inspection every three years, depending on where the building is located. This allows for safety of everyone. Remember that it is your liability to keep the students, teachers, and workers safe in your building. Now on the other hand, those who are working in industries that involve mining, making, or using asbestos should be aware of the risk. Your workplace is one of the top sources of asbestos exposure.

This also concerns those working at the construction industry, those working with textiles, insulation, friction products, as well as production of building materials. Those involved in repairing brakes and clutches on vehicles should also be concerned. As a general worker, you should know about work regulations concerning asbestos.

It is important to know the asbestos regulations concerning your work. It may differ depending on where you live or where you work. Note that there are certain areas that have already banned the use of asbestos on certain products. There are also various regulations concerning removal or the abatement process. The removal process on its own should follow certain rules and guidelines. You should not just throw out the materials contaminated with asbestos. It should be contained and sealed. At the same time, you should search for a landfill specifically for asbestos if you are disposing asbestos.

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Removing Your Acoustic Asbestos Ceiling

You don't want your acoustic asbestos ceiling any more because it collects dust and cobwebs and is difficult to clean and it loses its color with age. So what do you do with it? Remove it all? That's the solution - remove the whole asbestos ceiling. You need to get rid of it al in one fell swoop.

Before you remove that terrible old ceiling, just make sure whether or not it has asbestos in it. The ceilings of houses that date back to about 1950, in fact most houses built before1970 may have asbestos, a type of fibrous substance that is known to be a contaminant that causes cancer and other disorders that are related to the lungs.

It is not an easy task to determine whether your ceiling contains any asbestos by just taking a look at it. In order to be sure about the content of asbestos in your ceiling it is very important to make an asbestos check and decide on the removal of acoustic asbestos ceilings. If the asbestos tests are negative, it is still worth it to take precautions in the removal of the acoustic asbestos ceiling.

The wearing of a respirator is very essential. Asbestos is easily airborne and the inhalation of these fibers could enter the lungs and that may cause damage and even cancer sometimes.

Wear eye protection even though most of the diseases that are caused by asbestos are due to inhalation of the fiber, nevertheless the exposure of the eyes or the skin to the asbestos fibers may be harmful and cause unpleasant effects. Asbestos warts are one of the diseases that are asbestos related and are caused when the skin is exposed to the mineral. Make sure to inform everyone at home about the removal of the asbestos ceiling, as this will help him or her maintain their distance and have minimum exposure to the risks that are related to asbestos. After you have ensured the safety of your family, consider the actual steps that are involved in the removal of the acoustic asbestos ceiling.

The removal of the acoustic asbestos ceiling is a very delicate process. It is best to leave the procedure to a licensed contractor to ensure its safe removal as this will require expertise and the ceiling's surface must be made wet prior to removal. The ceiling is made wet before removal so the fibers in the asbestos sheets do not become hazardous by becoming airborne. Asbestos fibers are actually 1,200 times tinier then human hair, so it is difficult to see if the fibers are present in the air or not. So wetting of the ceiling is usually done as a health precaution before the ceiling is removed.

As the surface of the ceiling would be made wet, you must protect the furniture and the floors of your house. Remove all furniture and make sure to use plastic to cover everything and the floors before you remove the ceiling. Just a bit of caution and the removal of your ceiling could be done with minimum risk.

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What is Asbestos and Why is it Dangerous?

Until 20 years ago most of hadn't even heard of Asbestos until its hazardous properties were highly publicised in the mid 1980s.

Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral with long fibrous crystals. It is these fibres that cause Asbestos's toxicity due to the harm they cause when inhaled into the lungs. Inhalation of Asbestos can cause a number of very serious illnesses such as lung cancer and Pneumoconiosis.

Historically Asbestos has been used for many different purposes. In fact the Greeks nicknamed Asbestos the miracle mineral due to its versatility and ability to withstand extreme heat. Most famously Asbestos was utilised in construction but its uses were far more widespread - the material's heat resistance made it an ideal electrical insulator for wires and cabling for ovens and its strength was appreciated in the weaving of fabrics for clothing and table cloths etc. By the mid 20th century Asbestos was being used everywhere, examples of products utilising Asbestos are as follows: roof tiles, flooring, pipe insulation, ceiling insulation, lawn furniture, cement for fire places, brake pads for vehicles, protective clothing for firemen etc.

Unfortunately the real dangers of Asbestos were not fully understood until recently, by which time a high percentage of buildings, particularly those erected in the late 1800s and early 1900s, already contained a significant amount in their walls and roofs. Before Asbestos's toxicity was brought to light it had been considered an ideal building material - it was known to be highly fire retardant, have high electricity resistance and, most importantly, was easy and cheap to use.

Sadly heavy use of asbestos in years gone by has exposed past generations of construction workers, carpenters and roofers to asbestos and many now suffer lung disease as a result. Asbestos is only hazardous when the fibres become airborne because it is then that they can be inhaled. Once inhaled the fibres cannot be expelled due to their size, so they become lodged in the lung tissue.

Asbestos is now banned, either in whole or in part, in 60 countries worldwide including all of those in the European Union.

Asbestos Regulation

In 1970 the Asbestos industry maintained a voluntary ban on Blue Asbestos (the most harmful type of Asbestos) in its raw form. The ban did not, however, cover products containing the material. This ban was extended to Brown Asbestos (considered the 2nd most dangerous type) in 1980.

It wasn't until 1986 that the UK Government imposed an official ban on the two most harmful forms of Asbestos, and any products that contained them. The official policy was introduced to: "Prohibit the most hazardous forms and activities, namely the importation, supply and use of blue and brown (crocidolite and amosite) asbestos, asbestos spraying and the installation of asbestos insulation, License most work with asbestos insulation or coatings and Strictly control the remaining risks to anyone working with asbestos (and others affected by them)".

In 2006 the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2006 came into force. These new regulations combine the three previous sets of regulations covering the prohibition, control and licensing of Abestos.

The regulations prohibit the importation, supply and use of all three forms of Asbestos - Blue, Brown and white.

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Things DIYers Should Know About Asbestos

Home renovation is one of the most popular weekend past times these days, with more and more people inspired to improve their homes and most doing the projects themselves. However, if you are planning to start any home DIY projects, then you should know a little about asbestos and some of the asbestos risks, in order to keep you and your family safe.

From the end of the 19th century, this material became popular as a building material as a fire retardant and was commonly used in ceilings for insulation. However researchers began to note that there was an unusual prevalence of lung disease and early death in asbestos mining towns. From there further research revealed that it was responsible for causing some types of cancers called mesothelioma.

In the 1970s the use asbestos was phased out, but there still remains a large number of homes in the UK that still have asbestos in parts of the construction. It is now banned from being used in the construction industry altogether throughout the European Union and most other parts of the world too. Asbestos removal has to be done under special conditions to prevent the fibres being released and causing harm to those that breathe them in, which should always be carried out by a professional asbestos removal company.

If you have a home that was built prior to the seventies, you should bare in mind, that before attempting to do any home renovations, it is a very good idea to have the home inspected for use of the asbestos material.

Most people know about the use of this potentially deadly material as insulation in ceilings however, there are some locations in the home that might be harbouring it, that you have never previously considered. Asbestos was sometimes used in taping or blanketing of pipes, boilers and in older houses with internal fire places, asbestos cement can sometimes be found in the original hearth. It also may have been used in certain types of tiling in the home and could have been used in the adhesive or backing of vinyl or rubber floor tiles. If you are planning to pull these off or sand the floor underneath, then you could be putting yourself at risk of breathing in the asbestos fibres.

You can also potentially find it outside your home in roof tiles. Many of the roof tiles that were installed in post-war homes have it as a base material. If you remove these tiles, or drill into them, again you can potentially release asbestos fibres that can cause serious illness to the lungs.

There are plenty of asbestos profesionals who are able to remove asbestos products, so that you can complete your home renovation projects without having to worry about its presence and the potential harm it can cause. Then you can get on with the aim of making your home a more pleasant and comfortable place to live.

There are more than 3000 asbestos products that were commonly used in home construction up until the 1970s, so if you are going to be renovating an older home and are concerned about finding asbestos, then it is essential that you have an asbestos survey carried out by an asbestos expert prior to starting. If they do discover asbestos, then you can arrange to have it safely removed by an asbestos company to prevent any risk to you and your family.

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UK HSE Reports 4312 Deaths Due To Asbestos Related Diseases

HSE Reports 4312 Deaths Due To Asbestos Related Diseases

That's right, the HSE has reported that there were around 4312 deaths due to asbestos related diseases in 2007 (the latest year with published statistics).  Do you work in the building trade?  Do you wear the correct PPE when dealing with asbestos? or do you think that health and safety is not worth the time of day?  If you don't wear PPE and think that health and safety is not important, then it's about time that you woke up and learnt about the risks involved when dealing with asbestos, and the affects that it can have on you later in life.  It is no joke,  asbestos really is a hidden killer, and it will get you when your not expecting it.

What is Asbestos?

Asbestos is commonly known as the hidden killer, due to the fact that you can't see it, and because it does not usually cause any symptoms for many years after exposure.  Asbestos almost always causes death.

Asbestos is a term used for a wide range of naturally occurring minerals that crystallise to form long thin fibres and fibre bundles.  Asbestos fibres have high tensile strength, chemical, electrical and heat resistance.  For this reason, asbestos was used in nearly all UK buildings built before the year 2000, and it was and still is used in many other countries around the globe.

Asbestos is a hazardous material, and can pose great risks to health if the fibres are disturbed, let loose in the air, and then inhaled.

History

Asbestos became a popular product to builders and manufacturers in the early 1900's.  Builders and manufacturers used to love using asbestos because of its great durability.  Asbestos is fire retardant, and it was commonly used for insulations.

It is estimated that 3,000 different types of products contain asbestos.  The use of asbestos ranges from paper products, brake linnings and floor tiles.

Who is at risk of being exposed?

If asbestos is left intact and undisturbed, it does not cause a health risk.  Asbestos only causes health risk if it is tampered with, and if the person tampering with it is not wearing a face mask and protective clothing.

Many cases of these diseases occurring now are a result of exposure in industries that used asbestos in the past.  A majority of these new cases have mainly affected people working in building and maintenance trades. 

People mostly affected with asbestos related diseases include, Carpenters, Plumbers, Electricians, Labourers, Metal Plate Workers, Pipe Fitters, Construction Operatives, Construction Managers and Energy Plant Operatives.

What diseases are caused by asbestos?

Mesothelioma - Mesothelioma is a cancer exclusively related to asbestos.  It is almost always fatal to those who are affected.  People who are diagnosed with mesothelioma usually die within 1 or 2 years of diagnoses.  It has a long tendency period, and it does not start to affect the body or cause symptoms for typically 30-40 years. Lung Cancer - Asbestos related lung cancer typically takes at least 20 years to affect the body.  Asbestos related lung cancer affects the tubes carrying the air from the lungs.  The tumour grows through surrounding tissue, invading and often obstructing air passages. Asbestosis - Asbestosis is a scarring of the lung tissue which has a latency period for 15-30 years. Diffuse pleural thickening- This is a non-malignant disease where the lining of the lung becomes scarred.  It usually takes 10 years after exposure to affect the body

What can be done to help prevent getting an asbestos related disease, and what can be done to spread awareness?

Avoid working with asbestos; if you are going to work with asbestos ensure you get correct the correct safety supplies which conform to safety standards. Get protective clothing & workwear, and leave the protective clothing at work when you leave the site. Wear face masks Don't smoke Take lots of vitamins to help boost your immune system Remove asbestos from your home Educate yourself more about asbestos, and pass on this knowledge to others If you do work with asbestos, get some books & posters.  If you don't already have some in your work place they will help to remind you, and others of asbestos risks, and what you should do to help prevent getting an asbestos related disease.

If you need some safety supplies to help protect you, your friends, or your loved ones from asbestos, why not try Safety Savers?  Safety savers provide a large range of safety equipment and PPE throughout the UK.  They also export their safety products all over the world. 

Safety Savers provides a friendly reliable service, and they only supply safety products which conform to UK safety standards. Safety Savers are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

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Asbestos Building Risks

Where can you find asbestos in buildings, what are the risks, and what can you do about it?

The risks of asbestos exposure from students and staff in old schools and public buildings is a real one as many school buildings are known to contain these toxic substances. Old vinyl floor coverings containing asbestos should be removed from buildings and from schools due to the health dangers.

In my own professional experience in my town, and in other towns across the world Asbestos can be found in many old buildings, mostly in roofs, kitchens, walls and floor coverings.

Exposure to asbestos can cause serious health problems, and is associated with mesothelioma and asbestosis. These respiratory diseases are caused by inhaling asbestos fibres. The biggest risks come from those exposed the longest amount of time to the substance. 75% of those diagnosed with mesothelioma die within 1 year. To reduce the risks it is most important to reduce exposure, and have exposed asbestos removed immediately.

Some important tips we have learnt over the years are firstly:

If you have worked in the building industry you should see a doctor regularly for health checks and mention you may have been exposed to asbestos. Secondly, if you suffer from any of the symptoms such as constant coughing, shortness of breath, or blood in your mucus, contact a doctor immediately.

Medical symptoms may not be asbestos related, but the sooner you consult a doctor, the more chance you have of identifying the illness. Even if not ill, if you have any suspicion your building or property contains fibrous suspect material you should contact a licenced professional. What should you look for to identify the hazard? If the building was constructed any time in the 1940's to 1980's there is a likelihood it may contain fire retardant dust containing asbestos.

What can you do to identify the risks in your local buildings or property? Some cities have investigated, including setting up features such as an official Schools Asbestos Register, a report to see which schools are effected by Asbestos. This can be helpful to parents and students, and when applied in Sydney, Parramatta, Bondi and Bankstown it was successfully used to show some state schools still had the floor coverings containing the toxic building material asbestos.

Old vinyl floors are a feature of many local schools. Originally used for their fire proofing qualities for several decades in the building industry, only now is a lot of asbestos being discovered in buildings during demolition, and can have very great health dangers with exposure, especially during removal.

A common attitude shared is that the floor coverings are a remnant of the past, and once the flooring is damaged, it is increasing the risk of asbestos being released.

Current scientific and medical evidence has shown it is safe to be in a building that contains asbestos, so long as it is not damaged or disturbed. That is a big risk if you ask me. General building degradation, lack of reporting and documentation of actual exposure, earthquakes, accidents, purposeful destruction could all cause the building to breach the safe levels according to your local state building code, such as the one we follow in Sydney and New South Wales.

There are no excuses for asbestos backed flooring to still be present in our school buildings.

A register made public by your local state government can be used to list confirmed and presumed cases of asbestos in schools. Personally I think it is a great idea, and you may wish to lobby your council for the same. We now have rigorous processes in place to manage asbestos in our schools and these registers will help inform parents, staff and the public about what is being done in their local area.

Too often the response of some people had been to simply tape over ripped floor coverings.

A permanent fix is need to treat this problem of the removal and safe replacement of the floor covering. Now that asbestos roofs have finally started to be replaced, buildings and those conduction demolition need to make a concerted effort to eliminate asbestos backed vinyl floor covering, an issue that does not get enough attention, but poses a real health risk.

It is important that we complete the job of removing and replacing all floor coverings containing asbestos in Sydney and the rest of the country, and in other countries, to make our buildings, schools and public spaces safe for children and all residents.

The safety of children and their teachers is paramount, so this job must be a priority.

If your city does not have a fee state schools asbestos register available online from the government we suggest all Australians (and those abroad) to lobby their local representative to put such measures in place.

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Little Known Asbestos Facts

Asbestos has been used for centuries. It was known for fire resistant properties even back in Greek and Roman times, it just wasn't called asbestos back then. Marco polo in fact wrote about a magic rug that was cleaned by throwing it in the fire, it is now thought this was a woven asbestos fibre mat. Slaves in roman times used to wear a shirt that was also cleaned by throwing the shirt in a fire, however the Romans also noticed that the slaves that were wearing the magic garment were dying of a horrible lung disease. For the Romans to call it a horrible death you just know it has to be a bad way to go.

Fast forward to the 1900's and asbestos was being used in everything from chimneys to brakes and everything in between. Asbestos can be found in walls, roofs, cladding, chimneys, toasters, hair dryers, brake pads, tiles, carpet underlay, insulation, garages, meter boxes just to name a few.

There are three types of asbestos white, brown and blue. White is the most common and is still legal to use in some countries (not Australia). Due to refining impurities a material that is made from white asbestos will still contain blue and brown asbestos, just not as much.

Blue and brown asbestos are deadly. Blue and brown asbestos was banned in Australia in 1983 and it is illegal to use in most countries today. Blue asbestos is the most deadly and is though to be responsible for most of the deaths caused by asbestos. Once an asbestos fibre is lodged in your lung it can stay there for life. When viewed from a microscope the fibre will appear as a pin. When cells try to encapsulate the asbestos fibre they are popped by the pin shaped asbestos fibre. This is why the asbestos fibre is deadly.

Asbestos is fire resistant, strong, light, cheap and resistant to mould and fungus. It was thought as the perfect building material, but it kills, sometimes it can take over thirty years for symptoms to appear and one they do most people are given six months to live. A friend of mine who is a nurse said she thought that asbestos disease was the worst way to go and that she had never seen anyone so much pain.

The asbestos that you can see floating around in the air will not kill you, it is not small enough to penetrate deep into your lung. It is the asbestos fibres you can't see that will harm you the most.

If performing asbestos work yourself read up on safety procedures and then follow them. People have died from an asbestos related disease from one time exposure to asbestos.

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Things You Should Know About Asbestos Law Suits

People who have suffered asbestos-related illnesses like mesothelioma most often than not file for asbestos law suits. Those who have been exposed to asbestos, including their loved ones and families who were also affected, are usually the plaintiffs in this case, while companies who are considered responsible for the illnesses of these people are the defendants. However, in the past, before people were educated about the dangers of asbestos, asbestos law suits only targeted the innocent employers, asbestos installers and manufacturers, landlords and leasing agents. Now that the world knows the dangers of asbestos, the ones who get sued are company or building owners who, despite their awareness of asbestos dangers, still continued using asbestos, and in the process risk the lives of their workers / people / tenants.

Money Lost Is Money Gained
When these owners get sued by the victims of asbestos illnesses, they most often than not lose more money than they intended. Money lost by companies are then awarded to victims and the amount could reach millions to billions of dollars. The victims who filed for asbestos law suits did so in order to recover from the financial loss that their illnesses brought to their lives. Here are the likely financial recoveries that defendants who lost asbestos law suits pay for:

- money to compensate for lost income of the victim
- reimbursement for the cost of medical bills of the victim
- reimbursement for the cost of health insurance of the victim
- money to cover funeral costs in the event that the victim dies

It's Best To Consult With An Asbestos Lawyer
Aside from the victims/patients, there are also some people who file for asbestos law suits because they believe that they will contract the disease sometime in the future, and this is allowed in some states. The regulations stipulated in these asbestos law suits will help these people prepare for the financial and physical onslaught of the disease. But before asbestos law suits should be filed, an asbestos lawyer who is familiar with these proceedings must first be consulted to know if there is even a chance for the defendant to win the case.

In the case of severe asbestos diseases like mesothelioma, lung cancer and other cancer of the internal organs, asbestos attorneys are usually equipped with the right amount of experience and training to predict if a case will win or not. A skilled asbestos attorney will have the legal knowledge, as well as the connections to put pressure to reluctant parties into accepting their accountability. There are even a lot of attorneys who end up having their client collect compensation even if there has been no trial.

Light At The End Of The Tunnel
Overall, asbestos law suits can get very stressful and complicated. But they are filed because they're the last resort to seeking justice for a disease that could have been prevented. If you are thinking of filing for one, prepare your heart, mind, and soul. Consult with an experienced asbestos lawyer. Seek the support of your family and friends. With proper and complete documentations, help of a good asbestos lawyer, and belief in the justice system, know that there will always light at the end of the tunnel.

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A tragic story - mesothelioma and asbestos Cancer

Many experts cancer asbestos, prosecutors and persons suffering from Mesothelioma see asbestos in a material developed and used only in the 19th century. In fact, asbestos was first discovered and named by the ancient Greeks. In this article, we examine the facts of the use of asbestos through the ages. We will see what was known about the dangers of asbestos, and cancer when the mesothelioma and asbestosis began to be recognized as a tragic disease that they are known to be today.

Asbestos and mesothelioma: from antiquity to the 21st century

In ancient Rome, the asbestos fibers have been used for flame retardant clothing. In Greece, the fibres were used to make other textiles. In Persia, the clothes were appreciated for their ability to be cleaned above a fire, rather than with water. In China, Marco Polo described the similar elements which have been "washed" by dropped in flames. Asbestos could not be made for these garments. After the fall of the Roman Empire and the gradual disappearance of the great empires of the East, the use of asbestos seemed to stop.

As of 1860, asbestos had appeared again across the United States and the Canada, mainly used as insulation in buildings. In 1879, the first commercial asbestos mine appears in the Canada, just outside Quebec. At the turn of the century, use of asbestos was much more common: acid-resistant flame retardant, concrete, flooring, roofing, flooring and furniture lawn all had asbestos components.

With the rise of the use of asbestos was the first death recorded by asbestos mesothelioma cancer. In 1906, a minor asbestos died of asbestos cancer, but his cause of death was not established until later. However, other instances of mesothelioma - still diagnosed an unknown lung disorder - were observed throughout the beginning of the 20th century, particularly in the mining towns of asbestos.

Libby, Montana is a mining town modern example contaminated by asbestos. The EPA has tried to clean up Libby since 10 years, but 200 people have died so far of exposure to asbestos, with more than 1,000 sickened. The city has been contaminated by a nearby vermiculite mine, its residents threatened by produced waste and discarded materials from mining operations.

The town of Libby was struck by the contamination with asbestos despite the modern interventions. In the early days, before of Mesothelioma has been recognized or considered asbestos poisoning, cities have been even more spectacular affected. Even today, when the dangers of asbestos and its links with mesothelioma, are clear, negligence of the company still unpunished. The company responsible for the contaminated mine Libby was recently acquitted in a trial centered around death in the city. The mining company will face no penalty, despite hundreds of asbestos poisoning dead and thousands of diseases related to asbestos in Libby.

The first diagnosis of Cancer of asbestos, asbestosis and mesothelioma

In 1924, a doctor in England recognized the pattern of the disease and made the first diagnosis of asbestos cancer. At the time, it was called asbestosis and the existence of mesothelioma remained unknown. Nevertheless, the initial diagnosis has created a wave of legislation on the management of asbestos - at least in England. The United Kingdom began to regulate the ventilation and established as a "work excusable related disease" asbestosis in the 1930s. The United States did not take the same measures up to 10 years later.

Around 1930, the medical community began studying mesothelioma, at the time a new disease with strange symptoms and very little information. They could only observe the symptoms: coughing, shortness of breath, pain in chest/lung generalized. Mesothelioma is not linked to asbestos, or suggested that cancer asbestos until 1940.

What are companies on the dangers of asbestos exposure?

The basis of legislation of cancer and asbestos is that several asbestos companies knew that the material was dangerous, but did not protect workers and the clients of these known hazards. The court documents showed that companies have begun to learn about the health hazards related asbestos as early 1930, but despite this knowledge, they did nothing to ensure the safety of workers or consumers. Instead, they allowed asbestos use grow even while diagnosis of mesothelioma cancer and asbestos grows thus.

Although that limited through legal action, the Environmental Protection Agency has published a rule in 1989 that allows only traces of asbestos to appear in modern construction materials. Even if persistent contamination by asbestos remains and threatens to citizens, the modern world now recognizes the dangers of asbestos and is no longer used as raw material.

Natural asbestos hazards

Although exposure to asbestos occurs commonly by contact with asbestos or asbestos mines, there are also far too many asbestos so-called "occurrences" throughout the United States. These sites are not routinely monitored by the EPA, not much has been done to clean them or to protect the surrounding communities.

An "event" asbestos is defined as a place where asbestos has been found, but not exploited or prospecting for the mining industry. These veins of asbestos can be quite profound asbestos dust if misleading student in the air, making the name "occurrences" - they are more like "risks". There are 205 such occurrences documented throughout the eastern part of the United States, and most of them have been discovered by anecdotal rather than active investigations. The Government has helped to clean the commercial use of asbestos, but they have nothing to control the hazards of exposure to the evidence in its natural state. Even when not made or ground, asbestos and its fibers can cause mesothelioma, asbestos cancer, asbestos poisoning and all other atrocious conditions that can result from disease.

The mesothelioma and Cancer of asbestos today

Although asbestos was regulated for 20 years, prosecution of mesothelioma are still be filed today because of the long period of incubation of the disease. Cancer requires often 20 to 50 years between exposure and the manifestation of symptoms, which means that many workers who handled asbestos during the height of its use only beginning to show symptoms. Unfortunately, the number of prosecutions is only expected to increase. Asbestos cancer is tragic, was tragic history. But today, we can fight against corporations which do not have to protect us and we can know that the world is safer for our children.

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Types of asbestos

Most people do not know that asbestos is a natural substance. They assume it to be a substance made by man for commercial purposes. Asbestos is a fibrous mineral found in nature and mined by man to use for various purposes. The wonder of this mineral is that it is fire resistant, chemical resistant, highly strong, and completely flexible and has very low electrical conductivity. Due to the above reasons, asbestos is used for a variety of purposes in various industries. Some of them are:

§ Asbestos is widely used in the construction industry because of its fireproof quality.

§ Asbestos can be easily woven into cloth and is thus used to make fire poof clothing.

§ Asbestos is used to make gaskets and pipes.

§ It is used in the shipbuilding industry.

§ This popular substance was first used in 1828, in steam engines, as a lining material.

§ For many years, it was used to make floorings, brake linings and clutch facings in motor.

§ It is shocking to note that asbestos was used in making toothpaste and surgical incision thread too.

Broad classification of asbestos

There are two broad categories into which all types of asbestos can be classified. They are as follows:

(a) serpentine group:

This type of asbestos has a layered form and the fibers are curly. This is why it is called as 'serpentine'. This group has just one member, called chrysolite. Basically, This is the most common type of asbestos.

(b) Amphibole group

This is considered to be the most hazardous type of asbestos. It has straight fibers. Unlike the serpentine group, it has a chain like structure. Five kinds of asbestos are found in the amphibole group.

Sub classification of asbestos

There are six types of asbestos found on earth. Let us see about each of them below:

Chrysotile:

It is also popularly called as white asbestos, chrysotile is the most common type of asbestos. It belongs to the serpentine group. The construction industry makes vast use of this type of asbestos. Since this type of asbestos is widely used, the majority of the asbestos-related health problems globally are caused due to chrysotile. It is used in the following materials:

§ fire proofing materials,.

§ insulation,.

§ woven to form asbestos clothes,.

§ cement pipes,.

§ cement Sheets.

§ automobile brake shoes,.

§ homosexuelle,.

§ disk pads,.

§ textile,.

§ plastics,.

§ paper,.

§ rubber and

§ even in nuclear industry.

It has been proved by medical science that chrysotile also leads to various asbestos-related diseases, including mesothelioma. However, the asbestos industrialists are trying to hush up these studies. They keep claiming that it is not harmful. They do all that is possible in their power to stop the government from banning chrysotile. The result is that asbestos is still widely used in India, Canada, Africa, China and some other countries.

Though the developed countries have banned asbestos some years back, it is still found in many buildings and commercial products. If this is the case in developed countries, it is frightening to think of the future situation in the other countries.

Amosite:

This belongs to the category of asbestos amphibole. It has very stiff and Strong fibers. These fibers get easily air terminal and are Very dangerous when inhaled through the nose or mouth. It is known as brown asbestos. It is mostly used for insulating purposes. Most of the countries have banned this amosite several decades ago itself. After chrysolite, this was the most popularly used type of asbestos.

Crocidolite:

This is a very rare type of asbestos belonging to the amphibole category. It is mostly used to reinforce plastics as it is highly strong. It is slightly blue in color. It is also used in thermal insulation.

The other three types of asbestos are not used to make any commercial products and thus, cause no harm.

How asbestos leads to mesothelioma?

When asbestos is mined and manufactured, a lot of asbestos dust and asbestos fibers are released into the atmosphere. Man can easily inhale this dust because it is light, invisible and airborne. Once it enters the body, either through nose or mouth, it travels throughout the body. The body organs like lungs, heart and abdomen have a lining called as mesothelium lining. When asbestos comes into contact with this lining, it starts behaving abnormally. It starts to divide rapidly and begins to outlive the other cells, leading to tumors in that area. This may also spread to the other parts of the body, leading to the terrible disease called as mesothelioma cancer. Thus, it would be in the best interest of all if this dangerous mineral, asbestos, were banned globally.

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Embauche d'amiante enlèvement entreprises - Safe mieux que guérir

If you plan to purchase the buildings and other properties, you can ensure that the place is safe first with asbestos removal companies to assess the place of asbestos contamination. Have asbestos in the workplace and cause problems in the future just will result from combinations of asbestos law in the future of health, so better do the right thing now. In so doing, hiring companies deemed asbestos removal in your area must provide you with comprehensive services, including pre and post surveys asbestos demolition, of air sampling, testing and monitoring and control of the quality of the asbestos reduction projects.

However, to reduce costs, you can try to hire an independent contractor for the part of the inspection and another for the removal of asbestos. Having two jobs carried out by one of the asbestos removal companies in your area may offer any conflict of interests, so it is better to have a separate Inspector inspect before and after the work of removal is done by another company. This will help ensure the quality and control.

Today, asbestos removal companies also offer other unique services such as training courses that focus on outreach to asbestos and asbestos management as well. These courses are usually on the notice of allegation or natural sites of asbestos. Since asbestos is a product of nature, it is not naturally represent a threat to humanity. The problem arises when the asbestos gets disturbed and microscopic fibres and asbestos particles get released into the air. This can be obtained by inhalation and while it can pose a dangerous threat to human health, because it can cause cancer of the lung, asbestosis, mesothelioma and other cancers. This becomes a basis for law costly asbestos combinations with a lot of companies is involved with right now.
Asbestos removal companies are experts to eliminate this threat to health by removing asbestos safely in the property. If the property being purchased will be transformed into an Office in the future, or a place where people will converge, with asbestos removal companies to do their work also eliminates the possibility of asbestos law actions in the future by ensuring that the location will not pose as a threat to health in the population that it will house in the future.

When none of the asbestos companies hiring, what happens is that someone from their team will survey the premises of the building or structure. It will be a special asbestos testing laboratory samples. These samples include the drywall, water, floors, ground and House siding. Most of the structures built before 1980 stand a good chance to have asbestos in it. So better get any licensed asbestos removal companies in your area to ensure that the asbestos is removed safely from the premises. Otherwise, if future health problems arise, this can be a basis for law complicated asbestos combinations which you do not want to have. Therefore, make sure that by asbestos removal companies commit to do the job, he will do well and safely. It is always better to be now prevent than cure later.

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Common Asbestos Products in the Home

I intend to discuss the different types of asbestos products and where they may be found in residential properties. It should be considered that in the UK, housing stock still has a large amount of asbestos products present throughout. From textured coatings to cement boiler flues to floor tiles. The HSE recently suggested over 2.4 million homes contained some asbestos products.

On the legal and duty of care issues, it should be pointed out that until proved otherwise all suspect materials should be considered to be asbestos. When any works to a building or part thereof, are to be carried out, a refurbishment or demolition survey is a legal requirement. This survey should identify all asbestos containing materials present and recommend any further action to be taken.

Asbestos Insulation Board.
This material was mainly used in fire protection, such as in heater cupboards, but is also commonly found in ceiling tiles, partition walls and fireproof panels for fire doors. It can be difficult to spot this type of asbestos as it can look very much like "ordinary" ceiling tiles and partitioning or plasterboard. This is also a highly dangerous material as when broken or disturbed it can easily release fibres. The HSE will allow only very minor works to be carried out to this material. But it is recommended that only license contractors work with this material.

Loose fill asbestos insulation.
This material was used to insulate in between cavity walls, floorboards and lofts. This material is usually pure asbestos and maybe grey or whitish in colour. It is a fluffy type of material. A large volume of fibres can be released when disturbed and work on this material is by licensed contractors only.

Asbestos cement products.
This material was used in anything from roofing sheets, guttering and downpipes. Boiler flues and wall cladding. The asbestos has been mixed with cement which does help to prevent dispersal of fibres. A common use was as garage roofs. You do not need a licensed asbestos contractor to work with asbestos cement products as long as you do not exceed control limits. A risk assessment will highlight if the works are likely to exceed the control limits.

Textured coatings.
This is usually a decorative paint or plaster finish and can be commonly know as "Artex". More often than not these materials will also have been painted over. The danger can be limited as the material is contained but easy release is achieved if sanded down. This must be avoided. Textured coatings have in the past also been applied over the top of asbestos insulation board. Therefore care must still be taken when dealing with this material. You do not need to be a licensed asbestos contractor to work with these materials. You will however need to erect a two stage airlock, and use negative pressure unit as well as the correct PPE.

Floor tiles, toilet cisterns and textiles.
Vinyl floor tiles can have an asbestos content and can be found under carpet. Composite asbestos products have included toilet cisterns and seats, window sills and bath panels. For the tiles and composite products it may be a question of how long they have been in situ as to whether they contain asbestos. Asbestos textiles can be found behind older fuse boxes.

Asbestos spray coatings.
This material is found on the underside of ceilings and floors, as fire protection to steelwork and concrete. Considered as one of the most dangerous of the asbestos materials due to the high volume of fibres that can be released when disturbed. Only licensed asbestos contractors may work with this product.

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