What to do when You've Been Exposed to Asbestos

Asbestos has a reputation as one of the most dangerous materials people might come into contact with on an everyday basis, and its reputation is well-deserved. While it has been banned as a building material in the UK since 1999 (with some types of asbestos banned since 1985), asbestos can still be found in many buildings that were erected earlier. While asbestos is perfectly safe while it remains intact, should the material degrade and crumble, releasing dust and fibres into the air, it can be extremely dangerous and possibly fatal.

In this article, we’re going to discuss what makes asbestos so dangerous and what you should do if you think you’ve been exposed to it.

What Is Asbestos?

Asbestos is a mineral fibre that occurs naturally in certain soils and rocks. Famous for its heat-resistant qualities, it was incorporated into building materials for decades to provide insulation and protect against fire. For many years, it was considered one of the most useful compounds for the construction industry, with the many health concerns only coming to light in the 1970s, following prolonged exposure.

What Are the Health Risks Associated with Asbestos?

When they are loose in the air, asbestos fibres are easily inhaled. Because of their minute size, you might not even notice that you’re doing it until it’s too late. Asbestos fibres are carried to the lower part of the lung, where they settle and potentially cause a variety of ailments. These are some of the most common medical conditions with a proven link to asbestos exposure:

• asbestosis
• fibrotic lung disease
• lung cancer
• mesothelioma
• pleural plaques
• pleural effusion

Degrees of Asbestos Exposure

While there is no such thing as a completely safe period for asbestos exposure, the risk is significantly reduced the less time you spend in its presence. The serious health effects listed above tend to present themselves after months or years of exposure.

Short-term exposure rarely causes disease, only qualifying as a major risk if it continues to happen since asbestos exposure is a cumulative phenomenon. However, if your short-term exposure is part of a major incident involving clouds of asbestos dust and fibres, the damage could still be severe.

Long-term exposure, by its very nature, is more dangerous and has been shown to lead to serious diseases in many cases. Most people who develop these conditions have worked with the material for years, often long before the health implications were fully understood.

What To Do If You’re Exposed to Asbestos

If you find yourself exposed to asbestos, there are several things you should do to mitigate any immediate risk to your health and protect yourself moving forward.

Wash your body and clothes: remove and wash your clothes as soon as possible, and shower as quickly as possible to wash off any asbestos contamination. This will minimise any ongoing exposure for you or others.

Discuss with your employer or landlord: speak with whomever is in charge of the property where you were exposed to asbestos and discuss how they will remove or seal the affected area.

Seek medical advice: if you’ve been exposed to asbestos, inform your GP. While they will not be able to identify any health issues at this early stage, they will, at least, be able to record the incident, which may be important in the future.

Asbestos Exposure: Final Thoughts

If you are responsible for a property in which asbestos has been discovered, speak to a trusted local firm of hazardous material experts. Here at All Clear Services, we provide a variety of asbestos testing, containment, and removal solutions for clients in Wednesbury, Darlaston, and the broader West Midlands area.

Call our team today on 0121 526 4839 or 07944 438 409 to see what we can do for you.