When it comes to building work, you want the site you’re working on to be as safe as possible to prevent accident or injury as a result of working on the site.
However, when it comes to asbestos, no one should be taking any risks with it at all. We’re going to be taking a look at why you should be very careful when it comes to dealing with asbestos on a building site, and the importance of removing it safely.
Asbestos – What is it, and why is it dangerous?
To begin with, we should probably take a look at asbestos, and what makes it such a terrible thing for people to be in contact with.
The asbestos that you’ll come to know about is a set of fibres. These threads are incredibly robust and durable when they’re in large clumps, and they are also very resistant to heat.
These properties were first used by people many years ago to build houses and buildings with them, and the fibres were used as a way to strengthen the structural integrity of the house itself.
However, while the fibres seemed like a good idea, there was a side to them which no one knew about. The substance which makes up the asbestos is poisonous to the human system. They’re downright toxic fibres, and they can kill people if they’re inhaled.
Initially, no one was aware of this, as the fibres take up to 10 years to even become an issue inside the human body. Once they do appear, they are often found to cause fatal conditions that destroy the circulatory system, and there’s very little that can be done if they have sat inside of you for that long.
This was further complicated by the fact that you couldn’t detect the fibres within a person because there is no way of doing so, which meant that no one knew if they had inhaled the asbestos or not. Consequently, the majority of the buildings which contained the substance were marked as being dangerous and subsequently destroyed, or they had the fibres obliterated from them.
So, why is removing them essential for building work?
When you are a builder who has come to work on a site, and you find asbestos, it is imperative that you take the correct steps to both protect yourself and also to have the substances removed. The fibres are toxic to you, and without the proper protective equipment, you will inhale them.
As well as this, while you are working on a site, you can run the risk of disturbing the fibres and releasing them into the air. This means that anyone else who collaborates on the site with you is also at risk of being exposed to the substance.
As a builder, you have a job to do when it comes to building on a site. However, you should also feel confident that the site you’re working on is safe for you to do so.
Making sure that the asbestos is removed from the site before you do any work, and that it is eliminated safely will help to protect you from the risks of asbestos, and sadly there is no second chance should you inhale these fibres.
Overall, it is imperative that any asbestos within a property or building site is removed before a builder comes to work on it.
An asbestos survey is therefore highly recommended before building work is carried out. You have a right to be safe while you work, and the correct steps should be taken to ensure that you remain as safe as possible while you complete the job you have been asked to do.
Asbestos is a grave concern when it comes to the health and well-being of anyone who is working on the site. The fibres are incredibly dangerous and downright toxic, and anyone who inhales them is at serious risk of developing a condition which affects the circulatory system.
Only by ensuring that there is a correct level of protective equipment available and making sure the safe removal of the asbestos is arranged can you be sure that you’re not going to be at risk when you work on the site.
The dangers are genuine, and you won’t know if you’ve been exposed to the fibres when you inhale them, so we can not stress enough the importance of removing them quickly, in such a way that does not put yourselves, the people removing the substance or the general public at risk.
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