What Should you Do if you are Accidentally Exposed to Asbestos at Work?

Tiny fibres that can cause serious and even deadly illnesses are released when asbestos materials are disturbed. But what should you do if asbestos exposure happens unintentionally on the job? 

If you suspect that you have disturbed asbestos materials, you can safeguard your health by taking some easy precautions. If disturbed, asbestos is a hazardous substance. When asbestos materials are destroyed, microscopic fibres that, if breathed in, can cause severe and frequently deadly asbestos illnesses are released into the environment. 

The danger of removing or disrupting asbestos-containing materials is quite high in the absence of adequate measures. Asbestos is the number one health danger since it carries such a significant risk.

To avoid inadvertent disruption of asbestos-containing materials, you should always work with the proper form of an asbestos survey in place. 

Once you know what you're dealing with, you can take the necessary precautions to avoid exposure - or call in an expert if necessary. Unfortunately, unintentional asbestos disruption still occurs. Since the person is either unaware of the existence of asbestos or is unaware of the hazard. It is critical to act quickly to prevent the spread of dangerous asbestos fibres and to make the place safe.

Is Asbestos Awareness A Legal Requirement?

Where can Accidental Asbestos Exposure Happen?

Asbestos contamination is more widespread than you may imagine. Asbestos was employed in millions of building goods since it can be found anywhere. 

Insulation, cladding, partitions, voids, and panels, as well as walls, ceilings, floors, and doors; in tanks, boilers, piping, and structural components before it was outlawed in the UK in 1999, asbestos was a very popular substance. Any structure constructed before this period is likely to contain asbestos in some form.

Numerous buildings still contain asbestos since it was utilised extensively in construction and renovation projects completed before the year 2000. In the course of their duties, construction workers are highly likely to come into contact with asbestos.

Asbestos exposure in the past causes more than 40 worker deaths every week. Despite the standards and regulations, accidents do occur in areas where asbestos is present, and materials that were missed by the asbestos survey may be discovered after removal.

If You Think You Might Have Disturbed Asbestos:

Stop Work

If you are not authorised to work with asbestos, and you believe you may have unintentionally disturbed an asbestos-containing substance, you should cease working right once and leave the area, along with any other workers who may be there.

Evacuate

You should leave the location as quickly as possible if it is safe to do so. If you have dust or debris on your clothing, you should stay put, seek aid, and put on respiratory protection equipment (RPE) to limit the potential of inhaling hazardous fibres. 

It is recommended that RPE, typically a P3 filter, be used to guard against asbestos fibres. If you are polluted, stay where you are. Asbestos fibres are spreading, putting you and others in danger.

Prevent Access

Take the necessary precautions to avoid the spread of asbestos. Use moist cloths to clean yourself (damping down dust prevents the fibres from becoming airborne). 

Never dry brush or rub down with your hands since this releases light asbestos fibres into the air, increasing the likelihood of inhaling them. Your garments must be disposed of as asbestos garbage; the rags should also be discarded as asbestos rubbish. Since fibres can cling to body hair, you should also shower and wash your hair.

Prevent Spread

To protect individuals from asbestos exposure, you should take the necessary safeguards. The location should be cordoned off, and a sign warning of "possible asbestos contamination" should be displayed. 

For several days, asbestos fibres can persist in the air. If there is movement, any settled fibres may become airborne again. Avoid the area until it has been certified safe.

Get Specialist Help

The client should be alerted, and an asbestos surveyor or licenced contractor should be called at this stage to sample the material and advise you on the kind of asbestos and the danger level. 

Asbestos-containing cement, for example, poses a lesser danger than asbestos insulating boards. Once the disturbing asbestos has been cleaned up, the asbestos-containing material should either be sealed and labelled so that it can be detected in the future, or it should be removed.

If asbestos is to be disturbed again during construction, it must be removed. Even if you are not a qualified worker, you should not attempt this task if you have not obtained the proper asbestos training. The majority of asbestos work, including the installation of lagging, insulation, and insulation board, must be performed by an HSE-approved contractor.

What to Do After Recent Exposure to Asbestos

Inform your employer about your asbestos exposure, including the date of exposure, length of exposure, and kind of asbestos (if known). Make a note of these facts for future reference if you are self-employed or working from home. 

Consult your doctor as soon as possible and report any signs of illness. You should also advise them of the date, length, and kind of asbestos, and request that they keep a record of any potential asbestos exposure. If required, your doctor may recommend you to a specialist. Contact your trade union for further information if you have one. You may also learn more about asbestos exposure by visiting the website of the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).

It seems sensible to be worried about the potential consequences asbestos exposure might have on your health if you suspect you've been exposed to it. However, the danger to your health from short-term asbestos exposure is often quite modest. 

If you have inhaled a sizable number of asbestos fibres over a lengthy period of time, you are significantly more likely to develop an asbestos-related ailment. If you're worried, ask your doctor to note any potential exposure in your medical file. Include dates, length, and, if you know it, the kind of asbestos and potential exposure levels. They could ask for a chest X-ray if you exhibit symptoms associated with asbestos.

Why is Asbestos Exposure Dangerous?

A naturally occurring material called asbestos was mostly mined and utilised throughout the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s. But asbestos has been shown to be a substance that causes cancer and is extremely harmful. Asbestos is still often used in construction even though it has been outlawed in several nations, including the UK, Australia, and France.

In the UK, asbestos exposure is the leading cause of workplace fatalities. According to the Health and Safety Executive, asbestos-related disease mesothelioma claimed 2,446 lives in 2018. Since you can't see or smell the hazardous fibres in the air, asbestos exposure is perilous. 

These fibres damage the lungs when inhaled over an extended period of time, which can lead to a variety of health issues and cancers, including mesothelioma, a cancer of the lining of the chest wall or abdomen, asbestos-related lung cancer, asbestosis or fibrosis (lung scarring), and non-malignant pleural disease (diffuse pleural thickening and pleural plaques).

If the asbestos-containing material discharged a lot of fibres, you are more likely to experience negative consequences on your health (ACM). For instance, if it is harmed, disrupted, or the labour activity lasts a long time. You have a five times greater chance of developing lung cancer if you are often exposed to asbestos than the average population.

Despite the risk potential, asbestos is safe if left alone. However, asbestos-containing material that has been broken may emit a cloud of fine dust that includes asbestos fibres. Asbestos fibres enter the lungs by inhalation of dust and can over time cause progressive lung damage. 

Nowadays, the only time you may be exposed to asbestos is if your job puts you in danger of destroying any asbestos that may still be present in older structures. Consult a doctor if you feel you have been exposed to asbestos and are developing symptoms of asbestosis. The doctor will examine your lungs and inquire about your employment history. If asbestosis is identified, they may recommend further testing by a lung disease expert.

Once asbestosis has developed, there is no treatment since the damage to the lungs has already occurred and cannot be undone. However, there are certain therapies that can assist, such as oxygen therapy, which involves using an inhaler to help you breathe and breathing in oxygen-rich air from a machine or tank to relieve dyspnea if your blood oxygen levels are low.

If you smoke, it's imperative that you stop since the symptoms may be quite severe, and smoking increases your risk of lung cancer. You should also visit your doctor to receive the pneumococcal and flu vaccines because smoking makes your lungs more vulnerable to infections like the flu and pneumonia.