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 how to work safely around asbestos materials
  How to Work Safely around Asbestos Materials
Asbestos is an important component in the construction industry. It is mainly used because of its durability and resilience to fire. It is commonly used to fireproof areas that may house important documents or equipments. Companies still used asbestos material for construction despite its potential health risks. When exposed to asbestos fiber, a person may have difficulty in breathing and may be prone to lung cancer. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) have strict guidelines on managing asbestos that requires strict implementation.


Below are some guidelines on the how to safely handle asbestos and asbestos products.

Get a copy of Material Safety Data Sheets from your immediate supervisor. This is required by OSHA. It is a listing of chemicals with hazardous components such as asbestos. It has all the valuable information including how to identify and prevent contamination of these dangerous materials.

Workers should be properly trained if they are tasked to work with asbestos. There are Asbestos Awareness Training seminars that they can attend.


Identify all asbestos materials and properly label them.


Report any suspicious asbestos material that may be damaged.


A company should provide for proper facilities for workers like showers. It is important for employees to properly wash themselves after exposure to asbestos products.

The administration should limit exposure time and provide protective clothing and safety gears for their workers.

A working area should have proper engineering controls which includes a good ventilation system and isolation facilities for asbestos.

Never disturb, sweep or pick up any asbestos waste. Use a damp cloth or a vacuum cleaner with HEPA filters to clean the area. Secure the waste in polyethylene bags or air tight containers. Label them accordingly.

If you are using asbestos floor tiles, avoid stripping them. Once or twice a year should be enough. Remember the floor should be wet when stripping floors.

Do not disturb any damaged asbestos material if you are not properly trained to do so.

Never drill, crush, break up or sand any asbestos material. Your objective is to keep asbestos products as it is. Altering them can allow asbestos fiber to escape from the product. When this happens, then there comes the real health risk.

If you are working with asbestos, leave any tools or even clothes in the workplace. If you really need to bring them home be sure that they are properly disinfected and are stored separately.