History of asbestos presence

As you already know, asbestos is a group of metamorphic mineral fibers, the which are made of very small crystals, Including chrysotile, amosite and crocidolite.

History says that since 4000 years ago against asbestos mining has been carried out. For asbestos mining in a new very large scale at the end of the 19th century. In 2009 it is estimated that approximately 2 million tons of asbestos were mined worldwide, with most major producers are Russia which accounts for approximately 50% of asbestos in the world market. Until the 20th century usage continues to increase because of the need for the use of asbestos in industrial environments or other places.

In general for buildings, asbestos is used as the roof of the house. As for other benefits, asbestos can be used as a coating electrical cables, insulation, or to components on motorized machines and other vehicles. This proves that the asbestos does have many benefits in human life. Although in the end to know that exposure to asbestos dust is very dangerous for human health.

Due to adverse health effects, then for the sake of health and safety at work, the few countries that have banned asbestos such as the European Union, New Zealand, Australia, Japan, Hong Kong, South Korea and Singapore, ban asbestos.

Some types of asbestos

Asbestos fibers or dust is very thin and sharp, an estimated 200 times thinner than a human hair, is very lightweight, easily carried by the wind along with the air and is very difficult to see with the naked eye. When inhaled and enter into the human body. Over time, then these fibers can cause disease.

3 main types of asbestos, there are three types of asbestos were known by fiber length:

• Crocidolite or blue asbestos, usually used in automobile gaskets,brake linings, boiler seals,and pipe insulation.
• Amosite or brown asbestos, usually found as a fire retardant in thermal insulation products, ceiling tiles and asbestos insulating board.
• Chrysotile or white asbestos, usually used as a plaster. usually used as a plaster. Many items have been made containing chrysotile including pipe insulation, floor tiles, shingles housing, brake linings and much more.

Crocidolite (fibrous riebeckite)

Amosite (fibrous grunerite)

Chrysotile (fibrous variety)

All types of asbestos above include dangerous, but the kind of blue and brown more dangerous than white. In an industrial environment that is often used is a type of white asbestos.

Dangers of asbestos in everyday life

As has been described above that asbestos has many benefits in human life. However, sometimes people forgets that asbestos has two different poles. Just like a magnet has a positive and negative side. On the one hand can be helpful on the other hand can kill.

World Health Organisation (W H O) said that all types of asbestos is dangerous and can cause diseases such as vocal cord cancer, lung cancer, mesothelioma and cancers of the ovary. For mesothelioma until now no right medicine to cure. In addition, there are several surprising findings stating that asbestos fibers have a lethal effect karsiogenik ( Sudden Death ). Therefore, it is very important to know how and where exposure to asbestos dust can occur.

See also : Mesothelioma symptom, risk factors, and treatment

The dangers of asbestos in the workplace

Many people are exposed to asbestos in the workplace, such as in mining, shipbuilding, construction sites, oil refineries, steel mills, power plants, automotive industry, and others.

The dangers of asbestos outside the workplace

Not all exposure to asbestos dust occurs in the workplace, some conditions may cause such exposure outside the workplace. Such as water that has been contaminated by asbestos dust, using products made from asbestos, and others.

Dangers of exposure paraoccupational

A person exposed to asbestos dust exposure be it in clothes, shoes, skin, hair, or other body parts can increase the risk for others. As an example of his family members, all could have been exposed to it.

In addition to the above three points, the other possibility of exposure to asbestos is when asbestos was long used have been damaged. This will make the asbestos fibers (asbestos) released into the air. If this happens, then it is likely to be inhaled or ingested by humans is very most. Then, Dust will enter goto the lung or abdomen that may eventually cause irritation.

Handling of Asbestos Exposure Risks

From the above, it is clear that the use of asbestos is dangerous and can lead to a variety of risks of dangerous diseases. Therefore, the handling is very important for everyone to avoid the dangers of asbestos exposure:

• Wary direct contact to asbestos.
• Avoid the release of asbestos fibers into the air, whether intentionally or not.
• Keep children out of materials that contain asbestos.
• When performing work that requires contact with asbestos material, try to use safety equipment such as gloves, Clothes locker, goggles, masks and more.
• Using a safer material other than asbestos for building construction. For example, by ardex, kalsiboard, or with zinc plasterboard.
• Providing space divider between asbestos with other rooms.
• Cat asbestos before use.
• Do not mix the asbestos waste with other waste or dispose of such waste at a special place and avoid burning asbestos waste.