Hundreds of years ago asbestos was praised as a wonder material. People actually used to believe that it was magical, as it could withstand being thrown into a fire, despite seeming as soft as cloth. From 1900 onwards it was one of the number one materials in insulating industrial processes, and even cladding houses and office space. But it turned out to be a big mistake. Asbestos dust kills, and it so deadly that even a small amount inhaled from someone else’s clothing can be fatal.
Buildings that predate the ban house potential risks. There are regular instances of asbestos being discovered in the walls and around the pipes of structures. It’s not necessarily a risk unless it’s disturbed, as it’s the inhaled fibres of asbestos that cause illness. That means that people working or living within a building that has asbestos are unlikely to find that they are in danger. However, workers that have to renovate buildings are. Insulators, plumbers and electricians, as well as builders, stand a chance of coming into contact with asbestos in a hazardous form, and as such they need to take extra precautions in order to avoid deadly exposure.
Other industries also raise the threat of asbestos contact. Shipbuilders have to be especially careful, as the dismantling of older vessels regularly leads to fibres being unearthed. Similarly, steelworkers are surrounded by equipment that could contain the material, as it was prized for its heat proof abilities. Torpedoes used to carry molten slag are sometimes lined with the material, and these carriages can sometimes break, spilling not only molten metal, but leaving their toxic lining exposed.
There is a strict procedure in place for the discovery of asbestos. The Health and Safety Executive has to be told, and workers need to be removed from the area until tests can be carried out. Workers that have already been covered in asbestos dust need to be showered immediately, and their clothes deposited as asbestos waste. The process is all about containing the threat before it becomes a real danger.
It’s a sad fact that we still have to be cautious about this material today, but it’s a good thing that precautions have been taken, and hopefully we will see the demise of deaths from its effects completely.
There are more and more accidents at work claims being made these days.