Why Asbestos Still Threatens Construction Workers’ Health (Re: EHSToday)
新闻报道
The first use of asbestos is believed to date back to the Stone Age, 大约有750,1000年前, as archeologists found asbestos fibers that were used for wicks in lamps 和 c和les. 此外, 在公元前2000-3000年间，埃及法老的尸体被裹在石棉布里，以防止尸体变质.C. In Finl和, clay pots dating back to 2500 B.C. 含石棉纤维, 哪些被认为是为了加强罐子并使它们耐火而添加的.
了解石棉的现代历史对于理解当前建筑行业面临的挑战非常重要. 在20世纪, industrialization gave way to unparalleled development 和 growth throughout the nation. 石棉是当时几乎无限应用的首选原材料. It was hailed as a magical material 和 praised for its:
- Unique strength 和 durability qualities;
- Fire, heat, chemical 和 electricity resistance; 和
- Low cost of mining 和 production.
石棉的物理和化学特性使它成为解决工业化带来的许多技术挑战的理想选择. 例如, companies used asbestos extensively as a fortification measure in nearly everything, 比如瓷砖, 地板, 绝缘, 电子应用, 加热系统, 冷却系统, 窗户, 和屋顶.
在20世纪初, the medical community quickly realized the adverse health effects of this deadly mineral. That’s when cases of asbestos-related mortality were first diagnosed 和 documented. 然而, despite this newfound knowledge, the use of asbestos continued. 第二次世界大战后，石棉在建筑行业的应用和产品数量增加，达到了鼎盛时期.
自从20世纪80年代越来越多的相关医学研究支持石棉暴露与肺病之间的联系后，这种矿物就不再受到人们的青睐, but it can still be found in U.S. commercial, industrial 和 residential buildings erected before the mid-1980s. 人们越来越意识到石棉对健康的不良影响，导致公众舆论的转变.
Many Americans assume that asbestos is banned. 事实并非如此. 美国.S. 环境 Protection Agency (EPA) tried to ban asbestos in 1989. 然而, most of its regulations were overturned in 1991 through an appeals court ruling. The EPA has banned new uses of asbestos 和 its use in 地板 felt, rollboard, 商业票据, 瓦楞纸, 特种纸, 还有喷雾石棉. 然而, 这种矿物仍在进口，并用于现有的消费品和工业产品, 主要是屋顶材料, 防火服装, 和 automotive components such as gaskets 和 brakes.
Asbestos continues to pose a significant health threat, 特别是对建筑部门的工人和石棉污染的建筑物和工作场所的居民.
Asbestos Exposure in the Construction Industry
Many occupational groups are at risk of asbestos exposure. 然而, the construction sector tops the list of dangerous professions, according to recent findings from Advisor Smith. 在这个行业, occupational hazards are accepted risks, 接触石棉引起的呼吸系统疾病的威胁仍然是一个合理的担忧.
Due to how extensively asbestos was used, 在几乎所有类型的建筑中，建筑工人都会经常遇到石棉. 这些产品往往隐藏在建筑物或结构的几乎每个部分. This puts workers conducting maintenance, renovation or demolition at risk of exposure to asbestos fibers, yet they are often unaware of the dangers, especially when they lack the awareness training 和 knowledge about safety precautions.
最有可能的, 建筑工人应该知道石棉是一种他们经常遇到的有害物质，并且对不当处理和处置有罚款和处罚，以及：
- 能找到的地方；
- What the mineral looks like; 和
- 使用地点.
There are extensive publications about the hazards of asbestos, such as the Occupational Safety 和 Health Administration st和ards for proper asbestos protocol 和 EPA’s Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act. 不过, 普通建筑工人对上述协议和与石棉接触有关的危险了解不够.
雇主往往没有告知工人接触石棉的健康后果，甚至可能没有向他们新葡京app提供足够的个人防护设备或呼吸防护设备，供他们在使用矿物工作时佩戴.
考虑到含石棉产品在建筑中的普遍存在和普遍存在，确定含石棉产品可能很困难. 此外，含石棉的材料在老化过程中容易碎裂. This can release deadly asbestos fibers into the air. Once released, asbestos fibers cannot be detected without technical equipment. Unfortunately, this is not done consistently.
Once inhaled, the mineral fragments can become lodged in the body. 即使吸入的纤维量很小，也没有安全的暴露限度. Together with the accumulated exposure over a worker’s career, 罹患间皮瘤或石棉肺等石棉相关疾病的风险增加.
缺乏意识和石棉清除计划意味着处理它被推迟到以后的澳门新葡京官网app. 例如, 画家, 对建筑物进行翻新的电工和地砖工人可能会接触到石棉，并可能留下石棉产品，这些产品将继续对下一代工人构成威胁.
确保工人安全的最好办法是让他们知道石棉对他们的健康构成的威胁. 当教育是最重要的, 这些影响将显现出来，保护工人的健康，并新葡京app提供一个可以有效完成工作的环境. Thus, they will be more apt to follow proper protocols 和 compliance policies.
建筑物所有者和雇员必须根据标准评估工作场所，以确定是否存在石棉，以及计划的工作是否会产生空气中的纤维. This is done by a specific method under each st和ard before commencing major works. 一个彻底和完整的风险评估应该包括要进行的工作的全部细节和对工作需要多长澳门新葡京官网app的估计. It should also include the following:
- details of the type 和 quantity of the asbestos;
- details of the expected level of exposure;
- details of the controls to be used to reduce exposure, e.g.使用局部排气通风，控制润湿，使用足够的PPE / RPE外壳；
- decontamination procedures for 太ls, equipment, 和 PPE;
- details on how asbestos waste will be managed; 和
- 应急程序.
Awareness training is highly important, 因为这是工人识别潜在石棉来源以保护自己的唯一方法. Asbestos-related diseases can have latency periods of up to 30 or 40 years. 危险在于，雇主和工人都经常把石棉视为一种抽象的威胁，不会立即产生后果. Thus, many pay 太 little attention to potential dangers until it is 太 late.
Health Effects of Exposure to Asbestos
整个20世纪, 有一辈子建筑经验的健壮男子开始出现令人担忧的疾病迹象. These men spent their entire working lives in the industry, only to receive a diagnosis of mesothelioma. This rare disease was first recognized in the 1960s.
他们的症状包括：
- 胸痛、
- 慢性咳嗽和
- 肺部积液.
As it st和s today, the only known cause of mesothelioma is asbestos exposure. 间皮瘤经常被误诊，因为间皮瘤的罕见性和症状的共同性，可归因于几种疾病.
Most cases of malignant mesothelioma are diagnosed in the late stages. Once specialists diagnose mesothelioma, patients face an imposing prognosis. The average patient lives 12-21 months after diagnosis.
Treatment options vary based on the progression of cancer, but patients can expect a regimen of chemotherapy, radiation 和 sometimes surgical removal of affected tissues. Currently, mesothelioma has no cure.
Although asbestos helped forge America’s cities, it did so at the cost of the lives of many workers 和 their loved ones. 据估计，每年与石棉有关的死亡人数为39,275人，据信这种矿物仍会导致：
- 34270人死于肺癌，
- 3161例间皮瘤死亡；
- 787例卵巢癌死亡；
- 443人死于喉癌
- 613 chronic asbestosis deaths.
Considering the rate of asbestos removal today, asbestos will continue to claim a significant number of lives for decades to come.
随着老工人退休，对矿物危险缺乏经验的新一代接替了他们的位置, public awareness 和 knowledge about the dangers of asbestos is fading away, posing an even greater risk for future generations of workers.
考虑到这些危险, 建筑行业将不得不面对保护当今工人在其职业生涯中免受石棉危害的挑战. Companies need to take appropriate actions to protect their workers from asbestos—now. 数千家公司已经被追究责任，即使石棉相关疾病的潜伏期通常很长, 和 that already established legal precedent will likely be applied in the future, 太.
Written By: Treven Pyles