Asbestos is used in applications where there is a need to reduce heat. In heating applications especially, asbestos insulation was at onetime standard and can still be found in structures dating before 1970. Newer structures use fiberglass for insulating around very hot areas.
Some of the materials surrounding heating ducts, such as walls and ceilings, may contain asbestos. In these applications, the asbestos is either combined with other building materials or encapsulated within. Though safe if undisturbed, there is always the risk that asbestos containing materials (ACMs) can become friable over time.
Friable means that the material is easily turned to powder by the touch. When this happens, the asbestos fibers become airborne and may be inhaled.
There are generally three categories of HVAC workers:
Another risk industrial workers face is that asbestos fibers can become trapped in their clothing, which means workers can take the substance home with them. Although a worker may don a protective mask to prevent breathing in the cancer-causing dust, the fibers become trapped in their clothing which then goes home.
Attesting to this fact is the growing list of homemakers who were never directly exposed to asbestos, but still developed mesothelioma or other asbestos-related diseases. When doing laundry, the asbestos frees itself in microscopic particles and enters the lungs of the unsuspecting spouse.
This information is not provided to frighten HVAC workers, but to inform them. Because asbestos continues to cause mesothelioma in growing numbers and continues to be used in industrial applications, we feel a responsibility to inform those who are at risk. Many HVAC workers throughout Philadelphia and New Jersey are unaware of the risks, believing, as many do, that asbestos is no longer a concern.
If you or someone you love has developed mesothelioma, chances are it was caused by asbestos exposure. The Philadelphia mesothelioma lawyers at Brookman, Rosenberg, Brown, & Sandler would like to help.
If you live in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania or New Jersey, call 800-369-0899 to arrange a free consultation. Callers from Delaware County, Chester County, or Philadelphia County may call 215-569-4000. You can also contact us through our online form.
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