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Why is asbestos hazardous to health?
Asbestos can split into very fine fibres which can remain airborne for long periods of time after release. When inhaled, asbestos fibres can remain in the body for many years. The following diseases may be caused by exposure to asbestos fibres:
- lung cancer
- mesothelioma, a cancer of the lining of the chest or of the abdominal wall
- asbestosis, scarring of the lung with fibrous tissue
The symptoms of asbestos related diseases may not appear until about 10 to 40 years after first exposure to asbestos. |
| 3. |
Where can I find asbestos?
Most products made today do not contain asbestos. However, you can find suspected asbestos containing materials in buildings built before the mid 1980s. Some common examples are:
| thermal insulation |
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lagging materials for steam and hot water pipe, heater, boiler, furnace, chimney, flue duct |
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| electrical insulation |
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switch box arc chutes, cable tray |
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| sound absorption |
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acoustic plaster sprayed on ceiling and wall |
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| fireproofing |
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filling material in wall and floor penetration, laboratory bench top, fire blanket, fire curtain |
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| building materials |
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corrugated cement sheet for roofing, wall board, cement roof tile, asphalt roofing felt, vinyl floor covering, cement soil stack, cement pipe, refuse chute, ceiling tile |
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| friction products |
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brake lining, clutch facing |
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| building services |
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air duct flexible joint, cable trough and conduit, cistern |
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| sealing and jointing |
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gasket, gland packing materials for pump and valve, putty, adhesive |
You cannot tell with certainty whether a material contains asbestos by its appearance or colour. Therefore, it is safer to take a precautionary attitude and treat all suspect materials as asbestos containing unless proved otherwise by a registered asbestos consultant. |
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