Asbestos - Who is Exposed to It?

Many people think that asbestos has been completely banned from all countries. Unfortunately this is not the case. The use of this material is banned in the European Union, Australia and some other countries. This material has also been widely used in the Soviet Union for many years. It is still widely used in many ex-Soviet Union countries without adequate precautions. There has been many regulations regarding the use of this material through the ages but it is not completely banned in the United States. Other countries, mostly those that mine this material, constantly fight against a ban on it. This is not surprising since for the mining countries this material is a source of revenue.
It is also important to note that people may be exposed to this material even if they do not work in an environment where this material is used. In fact this material is widely used in a large number of products and it is difficult that an individual has not been exposed to some degree to it during his life. Moreover we are exposed to this material through many consumer products and asbestos fibers are also released from natural deposits and from the deterioration of products made with this material. We can also be exposed to it from the air and from drinking water. However such exposure rarely makes individuals ill with asbestos-related diseases. Consumer goods that use this material usually do not pose any risk to the health of the individual unless such products are damaged in such a way that releases fibers in the air. It is these fibers that when they are inhaled can pose the risks for individuals to develop asbestos-related diseases. It is individuals that constantly work in an environment where this material is used that have the real risk of becoming ill. Such individuals may develop mesothelioma or other type of asbestos-related diseases many years later.
The risk of developing such serious problems such as mesothelioma varies with the type of industry where the exposure occurred, with the extent of such exposure, the concentration of these fibers in the air and whether protective equipment is used or not. Unfortunately in the past many workers were not aware of the dangers posed by inhaling these airborne fibers. Nowadays there are many regulations that require workers to wear safety equipment for their protection. However safety regulations may have been quite slack many years ago. Workers are mainly exposed to this material when products or equipment are installed or manufactured. Those individuals that mine this material have also a high degree of dangerous exposure to it's fibers.
For many years this material has been used extensively in the shipbuilding industry. Shipbuilders used to work in poorly ventilated environments with little or no protection at all. As more and more has been learned about the health risk of this material, regulations are imposed to safeguard the health of the shipbuilders. However the effects of such exposure is still felt today by many workers that worked in such an industry years earlier.
The inhalation of these fibers was very common in the metal works industry. The production of certain products such as thermal insulation, pipes, gaskets, brakes and clutches resulted in environments where airborne fibers were the order of the day. Individuals who worked in steel yards and railroads were exposed to a large concentration of these fibers.
Individuals that worked in power plans were also exposed to dangerous levels of airborne fibers since this material was widely used in the equipment and machinery of power plants such as boilers, turbines and generators.
Occupations where dangerous exposure to these fibers may have occurred include: Aluminum plant workers, asbestos abatement and removal workers, auto mechanics, boiler makers, brake mechanics, bricklayers, building inspectors, carpenters, demolition workers, drywallers, electricians, engineers, floor coverings, furnace operators, furnace workers, glazers, grinders, heat & frost insulators, hod carriers, industrial workers, insulators, iron workers, laborers, longshoremen, maintenance workers, merchant marines, millwrights, navy personnel, operating engineers, operators, painters, pipefitters, plasterers, plumbers, refinery workers, refractory bricklayer, roofers, sand blasters, sheet metal workers, ship scrappers, ship fitters, shipyard workers, spray insulator, steam fitters, steelworkers, tile workers, U.S. navy veterans and welders.
Industries and jobs sites where dangerous exposure to these fibers may have occurred include: mining, milling, asbestos product manufacturing (materials, building, insulation and roofing), automotive repair (brakes & clutches), chemical plants, construction sites, foundries, maritime, miners, navy ships, offshore rust removals, oil refineries, paper mills, power plants, railroads, refineries, sand or abrasive manufacturers, shipbuilders, ships, shipyards, steel mills, tile cutters and the wool industry.
Exposure can also result to individuals where family members work in environments that are heavily exposed to this dangerous material. These fibers may be brought at home by such members on clothing, shoes, hair or skin.