Asbestos Safety - Welcome to the website for the SC State
Download
Report
Transcript Asbestos Safety - Welcome to the website for the SC State
Asbestos Safety
Copyright 2008 Deatherage Associates, LLC
Asbestos Kills
If you are exposed to enough asbestos,
it will kill you
It’s an invisible killer - You need special
equipment to even see asbestos fibers
Asbestos has been used to make
thousands of products
Maintenance and construction workers are
most at risk
Copyright 2008 Deatherage Associates, LLC
How Do Asbestos Fibers
Enter Your Body?
Asbestos fibers are released from damaged
materials containing asbestos
These fibers enter your body when you
breath, eat or drink
They may remain in your body for life
They cause deadly diseases
Diseases Caused By Asbestos
Lung cancer accounts for the most deaths
related to asbestos exposure
Asbestosis is a deadly respiratory disease
Mesothelioma is a cancer of the lining of the
chest or abdomen
It can also cause cancer of the rectum, colon,
esophagus, stomach, intestines and pancreas
Three Things That Determine
Likelihood Of Disease
The amount and duration of exposure
Whether or not you smoke
Age
Beware of Materials That
Crumble Easily
Materials that crumble easily are called friable
Friable materials containing asbestos can
release dangerous fibers into the air
Avoid contact with friable materials
Non-friable materials containing asbestos can
become friable when damaged
They’re safe as long as not disturbed
3 Activities That Cause
Asbestos To Become Airborne
1) Fallout continuously releases asbestos fibers
from a damaged substance
2) Impact causes high concentrations of
asbestos fibers to be released
3) Reentrainment moves asbestos fibers that
have settled
If You Must Work Near Asbestos
Talk to your supervisor first
You have the right to
see results of air
monitoring tests
Your goal is to
prevent asbestos
from becoming
airborne
Safe Housekeeping
When cleaning areas containing friable,
asbestos-containing materials:
– Use dampened mops
– Do not use brooms
– Do not use traditional vacuum cleaners
Stay away from damaged materials
containing asbestos
Regulated Areas
Contain dangerous levels of airborne asbestos
Will be marked with signs
Require you to follow these precautions:
– Wear respirators and protective clothing
– Leave all protective clothing and equipment
in the workplace
– Shower after leaving the regulated area
If You Must Disturb Asbestos
Turn off the ventilation system
Spray the material with water
Place a drop cloth below the work area
Double bag, label all materials exposed
to asbestos for proper disposal
Summary
Asbestos kills
Beware of material that easily crumbles
containing asbestos
If you must work near asbestos, your goal is
to prevent asbestos from becoming airborne
Regulated areas contain dangerous levels of
airborne asbestos