Asbestos In Buildings : Are You Safe?

Asbestos is quite harmless, on the condition it is still compound in the substance it is part of. What is dangerous for people is breathing in the tiny needle-like asbestos fibers, when they become airborne. The trouble with asbestos poisoning is that its first symptoms such as dry cough, tightness in the chest or shortness of breath are the same as the symptoms of numerous less serious diseases. Combined with the length of the latency period, the genuine cause of disease is often found out too late.

Asbestos poisoning results in asbestosis, mesothelioma or lung cancer, to introduce just the most common diseases. Asbestosis is caused by the lungs attempting to get rid of the asbestos fibers by producing acid, scaring the tissue, causing it to harden. Eventually, breathing gets very difficult for the patient. Mesothelioma is an incurable type of cancer, affecting the outer lining of the lungs. Unlike asbestosis, mesothelioma has been linked with quite short, even accidental exposure to asbestos poisoning. Asbestos-induced lung cancer has been responsible for more than 50 percent of all deaths triggered by asbestos poisoning. On the other hand, when treated in its early stage, people can enjoy an active lifestyle for many years after the diagnosis.

Asbestos in Canada: Canada, being once one of the most important asbestos producers in the world, still supports its use in its less dangerous variations. The asbestos mines in Quebec are still in use. Until the 1980s, most office buildings, public buildings and schools had thermal, fire and sound insulation made of asbestos. The workers who worked on installing the asbestos materials were the ones in the most serious danger, especially if they didn't care about health and safety rules, allowed the dust to get into the air and then breathed in the toxins. The use of asbestos still hasn't been banned in Canada. Nevertheless, things have improved a bit - using asbestos as insulation material has been banned in Ontario in 1973. Asbestos has been predominantly removed from public buildings as a result of an effort by the local governments. There are also very strict guidelines for any work involving asbestos installation or removal.

Asbestos in Toronto: Ontario has strict rules concerning asbestos in buildings, especially since 2007. If a landlord finds any strange substance deteriorating in the building he owns, he has to present it for examination. In case it is discovered that asbestos is really present, it has to be eliminated immediately by a certified company. If there is any risk of continuous deterioration, the whole impacted area has to be removed, again following strict safety regulations.

The most common use of asbestos in non-domestic buildings: - insulation on pipes - ceiling tiles - panels boards - cement panels - sprayed coatings on walls - asbestos ropes and cloth - textures coating The most common use of asbestos in residential homes in Toronto: - exterior surfaces: deck undersheeting, roof felt and shingles, window putty - all kinds of insulation - flooring: vinyl asbestos sheets, tiles and undersheeting - interior surface: sprayed-on acoustic ceilings, acoustic tiles - appliances: water heaters, range hoods, clothes dryers and dishwashers Asbestos is still not a solved problem. We all still remember the Sunrise Propane blast from last year. Five streets were hit by asbestos debris and 3000 inhabitants had to leave their homes until a complete and careful clear up of the place. The risk posed by asbestos is still here and local governments have to keep struggling with it. But the real range of this danger is nearly impossible to be quantified. It has been found out that only 0.5% of asbestos in material is really toxic, so that's also why it is so hard to trace back all the possible dangers.

There are professional companies that you can summon and they will inspect your home in case you have even the smallest suspicion it may have been impacted (there is a list of such companies available in the Toronto region). Anyway, people should in no case try to manipulate with the suspect material on their own!

Photo source: Michael Pereckas