Health Hazards Of Asbestos Roofing

Asbestos products including cement roof sheets are a great health risk.

Health hazards of asbestos roofing.

In recent years the us occupational health and safety administration osha has estimated that over a million american employees in construction and general industries face significant asbestos exposure on the job. Asbestos fibres can pose a risk to health if airborne as inhalation is the main way that asbestos enters the body. In fact asbestos containing material is not generally considered to be harmful unless it is releasing dust or fibers into the air where they can be inhaled or ingested. Many of the fibers will become trapped in the mucous membranes of the nose and throat where they can then be removed but some.

Asbestos cement in roofing. It can be present today in any building built or refurbished before the. The reality is that asbestos exposure is often fatal. Around 20 tradesman die each week as a result of past exposure however asbestos is not just a problem of the past.

The health risk of asbestos cement roof sheets. In order to make the public more aware of the health risks of asbestos the health and safety executive hse had launched a beware asbestos campaign some years back. They were popular for their rigidity durability and fire resistance. Health safety concerns related to the removal of asbestos containing roofs.

Asbestos still kills around 5000 workers each year this is more than the number of people killed on the road. Roofing shingles containing asbestos are manufactured from a mix of asbestos fibres and hydraulic cement. When asbestos containing material is disturbed and improperly handled tiny hazardous fibers are released into the air and may cause lung cancer and other illnesses. Most of the times asbestos roofing materials are not dangerous if not damaged and left undisturbed.

Deq is aware that many asbestos certification classes have been recently canceled due to covid 19. The only way to know for sure whether your roof contains asbestos is to have a sample tested by professionals in a certified laboratory. Many asbestos roofing materials have been present since the early 20th century. Due to its fantastic thermal qualities and being extremely fire retardant it is not surprising that asbestos was extensively used in roofing and insulation in the 20 th century.

Asbestos roofing materials require the same level of safety attention whatever their form. Health hazards from asbestos fibers have been recognized in workers exposed in the shipbuilding trades asbestos mining and milling manufacturing of asbestos textiles and other asbestos products insulation work in the construction and building trades and a variety of other trades. The mining and use of asbestos is also still a health hazard in some other parts of the world.