Exposure to asbestos has been linked to a number of very serious and often fatal diseases including cancer. It is naturally present in the environment in very low concentrations and most people will never experience any of the problems associated with work-place exposure.
Exposure to asbestos fibres and dust are dangerous to human health when they are inhaled in higher than normal concentrations over a period of time, which is why governments around the world are working to control workers’ exposure to this substance and to require asbestos testing before any demolition or repair works are carried out.
Even second-hand exposure from washing asbestos-covered clothing can be dangerous.
Delayed Onset
What makes exposure to asbestos fibres so deadly is that the symptoms of the related diseases do not usually appear for 15-30 years after the asbestos exposure.
It is this sad fact that is affecting many of the tradespeople who worked with asbestos before the lethal effects of exposure were clearly understood. This is why it is so important to Protect Yourself today.
Asbestos Related Diseases
According the HSE, asbestos-related diseases are responsible for around 4,500 deaths a year in the UK and over 107,000 deaths world-wide. These diseases develop over a long period, and often it is too late for anything to be done once they develop.
The four main asbestos-related diseases are:
Mesothelioma
Mesothelioma is a specific type of cancer that is mainly related to asbestos exposure. This disease affects the lungs and, often, the digestive tract as well. It is often not diagnosed until it is too late, meaning that Mesothelioma is almost always fatal.
Asbestos-related lung cancer
Asbestos-related lung cancer appears similar to the lung cancer caused by smoking. As with all lung cancer, asbestos-related lung cancer is a serious illness, and often by the time it is diagnosed it is too late to treat.
Asbestosis
Asbestosis was one of the first diseases to be linked to long-term asbestos exposure, appearing as an extreme scarring of the lungs. Sufferers of asbestosis can experience severe shortness of breath and in serious cases the disease can be fatal.
Pleural Thickening
The lining of the lungs, called the pleura, can thicken after heavy asbestos exposure. As the pleura swells, it can begin to squeeze the lung, making it uncomfortable and difficult to breath.
Alert Yourself To Asbestos
ALERT is being manufactured by Alert Technology Ltd to help arm today’s workers with a means to protect themselves from asbestos exposure by alerting them to the presence of airborne asbestos fibres. ALERT is a portable device that operates in a similar way to an advanced ‘smoke detector’ by testing for airborne asbestos fibres using a real-time spectral analysis and alerting the user with an audible and visual alarm.
Our ambition is to develop future models for industry specific applications. To find out more today about ALERT and how it could help protect you and your business, please contact us for further information.