| It’s More Than Just Dust | Asbestos in the Workplace |
Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral which has been widely used in various products, such as building materials, floor tiles, pipe insulation, and car brakes. Asbestos contains fibers, which are too small to be seen by the naked eye, which can become airborne and cause serious health hazards. Some of these potential hazards include loss of lung function and cancer of the lungs, abdomen, esophagus, colon and rectum. Diseases which stem from asbestos exposure can take 15 or more years to develop after initial exposure.
Approximately 1.3 million general industry and construction employees face significant asbestos exposure at work. Asbestos exposure occurs frequently during renovation and demolition jobs, during the manufacture of products containing asbestos, and during repair of automotive brakes and clutches.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has implemented regulations to protect workers in general industry and construction jobs from asbestos hazards. Employers must adhere to regulations on maximum exposure limits, as well as follow provisions for: personal protective equipment (PPE), respirators, exposure monitoring, warning signs, recordkeeping, training, medical exams, and more.
There is no “safe” level of asbestos exposure, but complying with regulations and providing proper PPE and asbestos training can help to reduce the asbestos risks to workers. Training requirements will differ based on the workplace exposure and classification, but keeping workers protected from asbestos related illnesses and deaths needs to be a top priority of all employers.
For additional information on Asbestos in the Workplace, see the Asbestos OSHA Fact Sheet.
For Asbestos Awareness Training or other 100% online safety courses, see our Asbestos Awareness Online Training course or our Online Course Catalog.
