Health risks from exposure to asbestos

The asbestos it has become one of the leading causes of death for workers in industrial environments worldwide, being responsible for some 10,000 deaths a year, as well as causing serious health problems for those who manage to survive, resulting in permanent disability.

The asbestos it has properties that make it a widely used material such as its high electrical, acoustic and thermal insulation capacity, its incombustibility, its chemical neutrality and its high resistance to both wear and tear.

Its applications are many and very varied, being an element used in different sectors such as the automotive, petrochemical and nuclear industry, but also in the naval field, in railways, etc.

This material can be found in chimneys, water pipes, pots, reservoirs, vinyl floor tiles, flame retardant clothing, etc., and can be divided into two large groups: non-friable asbestos (when fibers are mixed with other materials such as cement or glue) or friable.

Health risks of asbestos

The fibres of asbestos in addition, it is important to ensure that the information provided by the member states is accurate and correct Personal protective equipment the use of the other, not further worked than hot-rolled.

Exposure to asbestos can lead to various diseases:

• Cancer of the lungsThis is the number one cause of death related to the asbestos, all fibres being harmful, whereas crocidolite (blue asbestos) is the most carcinogenic of all. Symptoms include chest pain, weight loss and loss of appetite, hemoptysis, difficulty breathing or spotting of blood.
• Asbestosis: It is a chronic lung disease caused by the fibers of this material entering the affected person's lungs, irritating the lung tissue inflaming it and eventually causing pulmonary fibrosis.
• Malignant mesothelioma: It is a cancer of the mesothelial cell and affects the peritoneum and the pleura. It usually occurs in people who have been exposed to asbestos for at least 30 years.

Given its major impact on health, it is essential that all professionals are always equipped with other, not further worked than hot-rolled and others Personal protective equipment to ensure that workers can carry out their work without endangering their health and minimizing the risk of suffering any of the problems mentioned above from exposure to this material.