Asbestosis. Asbestosis is a progressive disease which may develop fully in 7 to 9 years and may cause death as early as 13 years after the first exposure. In many cases, though, the latency period is 20 years or more. When asbestos fibers (sometimes so small they are invisible) are inhaled, they lodge in and irritate the lung. This irritation sets up a reaction -- an inflammation in the small air tubes and sacs of the lung. As the inflammation heals, it leaves scar tissue, called fibrosis. In the lung, this fibrosis causes the lining of the air sacs to thicken so that it is hard for oxygen to pass from the air into your bloodstream. Slowly, as the scarring progresses, the worker begins to suffocate.
This lack of oxygen and hard breathing puts a strain on the heart, so a worker suffering from asbestos may either die of suffocation or of a weak heart leading to heart failure. This entire process is called asbestosis. (Asbestosis is not the same thing as cancer, although both asbestosis and cancer are caused by asbestos exposure.)
Once the process of fibrosis or scarring starts in asbestosis, it is irreversible and progressive. A worker suffering from asbestosis will begin to notice shortness of breath, a dry cough, and sometimes pain in the upper chest or back. As the ability to breathe is limited, fingers and toes become "clubbed" -- rounded with flattened nails. This is a sign of decreased oxygen reaching the blood. Because these are vague symptoms, it is easy for doctors to blame them on other causes instead of asbestos exposure. These may be the only symptoms as the disease progresses, so early diagnosis is important.
Cancer. The most serious hazard of exposure to asbestos is cancer, and it takes less exposure to asbestos to cause cancer than to cause asbestosis. Two kinds of cancer are very strongly related to asbestos: lung cancer and mesothelioma. In addition, asbestos also causes cancer of the throat, stomach, esophagus, and bowel. Lung cancer caused by asbestos exposure is the same kind of cancer as that caused by smoking. It is hard to diagnose early, it spreads rapidly, and can rarely be cured.
Mesothelioma, cancer of the lining of the chest and the abdominal cavities, is an extremely rare kind of cancer and is almost always caused by exposure to asbestos. This cancer is incurable and there is no treatment.
Gastrointestinal cancer is a general term for several different cancers of the digestive system. It includes cancers of the esophagus, stomach, colon, and rectum. These are thought to be caused by the swallowing of asbestos fibers; most of these cancers are not curable.
The triggering device for action under the revised Standard is the existence of thermal insulation. The Standard presumes that thermal system insulation or sprayed-on or troweled-on surfacing material in all buildings constructed before 1980 contain asbestos, unless building owners can prove otherwise. Once the presumed asbestos-containing materials have been identified, a set of worker protection requirements kicks in whenever employees are potentially exposed to those materials or other forms of in-place asbestos.
Asbestos removal is not required and, in fact, federal regulators say they would like to see the asbestos stay where it is as long as the insulating material is wrapped and covered. Any worker who may come across loose asbestos must be trained on how to avoid disturbing the material and in some cases be provided with protective equipment such as respirators.
These revised rules apply to about 3.2 million workers in the construction industry (including building renovation and custodial work); 685,000 people working in "general industry" (mostly auto industry workers); and 1,000 workers in the shipyard industry.
In addition, OSHA rejected an appeal from the asbestos industry that chrysotile or white asbestos (used in automobile brakes, roofing tiles and certain mastics) be considered less of a health risk than loose asbestos found in insulation. OSHA reaffirmed its position that chrysotile is as dangerous as other forms of asbestos.
Periodic monitoring must occur at intervals no longer than six months for employees exposed above the 0.1 f/cc action level. Employees must be provided the opportunity to observe the monitoring and must be given the results within 15 days either individually or by posting.
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1900-1920s: British physicians began reporting a link between asbestos and pulmonary diseases.
1930s: U.S. studies linked asbestos to various diseases, including lung cancer. Follow-up studies were interrupted by W.W.II.
1950s: A 1955 report provided "convincing" evidence relating occupational exposure and asbestos to lung cancer.
1960s: Studies of shipbuilding and construction workers exposed to asbestos showed widespread pulmonary abnormalities.
1970s: As asbestos use peaked during the 1970s, victims began pursuing workers' compensation claims. By the mid-1970s, civil actions were filed against asbestos suppliers and manufacturers.
1980s: Asbestos use declines by 65 percent. In 1989, EPA enacted limited asbestos ban. Several companies facing asbestos suits filed for bankruptcy protection or went out of business.
1990s: In 1991, a federal appeals court struck down EPA's ban. Currently, only new uses of asbestos and flooring felt using asbestos are prohibited. In 1994, a 23-year effort to beef up workplace standards on asbestos results in reduction of PEL to 0.1 f/cc.
Sources:
EPA, "Occupational Exposure to Asbestos: Population at Risk and Projected Mortality 1980-2030," American Journal of Industrial Medicine.
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Regulated areas: Employers must establish regulated areas wherever airborne concentrations of asbestos are present and limit access to that area.
Protective work clothing and equipment: Where employees are exposed to asbestos, the employer shall provide coveralls or similar full-body work clothing, gloves, head and foot coverings, and face shields, vented goggles, or other appropriate protective equipment.
Training: Must be provided at the time of initial
assignment and annually thereafter. Each employee shall
be informed of:
* the health effects associated with asbestos exposure;
* the relationship between smoking, exposure to asbestos,
and lung cancer;
* the quantity, location, manner of use, release, and
storage of asbestos, and the specific nature of
operations which could result in exposure to asbestos;
* the engineering controls and work practices associated
with the employee's job assignment;
* the specific procedures implemented to protect
employees from exposure to asbestos such as appropriate
work practices, emergency and clean-up procedures, and
personal protective equipment to be used;
* the purpose, proper use, and limitations of respirators
and protective clothing, if appropriate;
* the purpose and a description of the medical
surveillance required by the Standard;
* the content of the Standard.
Remember, there is no known safe level of exposure to any cancer-causing substance, so even if your employer is in compliance with the OSHA Permissible Exposure Level (PEL) of 0.1 fibers of asbestos per cubic centimeter of air, there is still a cancer risk.
Sources:
Asbestos Standard; Federal Register, Vol. 59, #153, 1994.
Asbestos Politics and Economics of a Lethal Product
by J. Harrod and V. Thorpe, ICEF
OCAW Lifelines
Published by the Oil, Chemical and Atomic Workers
International Union
October, 1994