Asbestos Organization Hopes To Raise Awareness

The Canadian Mesothelioma Foundation (CMF) recently released a statement.

“Asbestos-related diseases are by far the number one cause of death in the workplace. Mesothelioma is almost exclusively linked to exposure to asbestos. Yet many of us have never heard of it.”

It’s a situation that the organization would like to change. Many cases of asbestos exposure can be avoided with the right information and precautions.

From workplace to home
There’s a good reason why asbestos related disease and even death are linked to exposure at work. Certain industries and trades, in particular, bring workers into contact with materials that may contain asbestos.

• Construction workers – specifically those who work on older homes and renovations – are at risk.
• Any work that cuts into walls, floors, or other structures, and creates dust, can create an asbestos hazard.

With the crazy real estate market in Toronto and the GTA, more and more people are opting to either do a DIY renovation and stay where they are, or they’re forced to buy a neglected property, and then choose to do the work on their own.

• It can create the same risk of asbestos exposure that results in the highest cause of workplace deaths in the province.

The case of Australia
In other jurisdictions, the risk is already high in the public consciousness. In Australia, where the rate of asbestos contamination is among the highest in the world, the media talks about the “third wave” of asbestos disease.

• The first wave involves the industrial and other workers who fell ill decades after repeated asbestos exposure at work;
• The second wave generally involves the families of said workers, who fall ill because their loved one brought home contaminated clothing;
• The third wave involves exposure from renovating the asbestos-riddled structures that remain as a legacy.

It’s not an abstract theory, or something they feel is coming down the pipe. It’s already happening.

• One Australian study found that more than 60 percent of DIY fixer-uppers reported asbestos exposure during their renovation projects.

There is at least one documented case of an Australian man who died of mesothelioma contracted from DIY renovations he had accomplished 40 years prior.

• Here’s the truth when it comes to renovations: anyone who works on buildings that were constructed before the mid-1980s is at risk.

The only way to be sure: asbestos removal.

Let us help
Let us help. If you have asbestos anywhere in your home, let us help with the next step: asbestos removal. Our experienced and certified asbestos removal and asbestos remediation technicians can help keep you and your family safe. In the Toronto area call Environmental at (416) 818-9414. Contact us for a quote today.

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