Uploaded March 2022 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Each year, the first week of April is recognized as Global Asbestos Awareness Week (GAAW). The week-long campaign was started by the Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization and is a meant to educate the public about asbestos and to help prevent exposure risks.
The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) reports that “asbestos” is a commercial name, not a mineralogical definition, given to a variety of six naturally occurring fibrous minerals. These minerals possess high tensile strength, flexibility, resistance to chemical and thermal degradation, and electrical resistance. They have been used for decades in thousands of commercial products, such as insulation and fireproofing materials, automotive brakes and textile products, and cement and wallboard materials to name a few.
NIOSH also shares the fact that when handled, asbestos can separate into microscopic-size particles that remain in the air and are easily inhaled. People occupationally exposed to asbestos have developed several types of life-threatening diseases, including asbestosis, lung cancer and mesothelioma. Although the use of asbestos and asbestos products has dramatically decreased in recent years, they are still found in many residential and commercial settings and continue to pose a health risk to workers and others.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) states that asbestos is well recognized as a health hazard and its use is now highly regulated by both OSHA and EPA. Worker exposure to asbestos hazards are addressed in specific OSHA standards for the construction industry, general industry and shipyard employment sectors. These standards help to reduce the risk to workers by requiring that employers provide personal exposure monitoring to assess the risk and hazard awareness training for operations where there is any potential exposure to asbestos.
These are just a few of the many things to know about asbestos and potential exposure risks. To learn more about this or other industrial hygiene, environmental, health or safety issues, please visit the websites shown below.
Clark Seif Clark csceng.com
EMSL Analytical, Inc. emsl.com
LA Testing latesting.com
Zimmetry Environmental zimmetry.com
Healthy Indoors Magazine healthyindoors.com
Each year, the first week of April is recognized as Global Asbestos Awareness Week (GAAW). The week-long campaign was started by the Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization and is a meant to educate the public about asbestos and to help prevent exposure risks.
The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) reports that “asbestos” is a commercial name, not a mineralogical definition, given to a variety of six naturally occurring fibrous minerals. These minerals possess high tensile strength, flexibility, resistance to chemical and thermal degradation, and electrical resistance. They have been used for decades in thousands of commercial products, such as insulation and fireproofing materials, automotive brakes and textile products, and cement and wallboard materials to name a few.
NIOSH also shares the fact that when handled, asbestos can separate into microscopic-size particles that remain in the air and are easily inhaled. People occupationally exposed to asbestos have developed several types of life-threatening diseases, including asbestosis, lung cancer and mesothelioma. Although the use of asbestos and asbestos products has dramatically decreased in recent years, they are still found in many residential and commercial settings and continue to pose a health risk to workers and others.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) states that asbestos is well recognized as a health hazard and its use is now highly regulated by both OSHA and EPA. Worker exposure to asbestos hazards are addressed in specific OSHA standards for the construction industry, general industry and shipyard employment sectors. These standards help to reduce the risk to workers by requiring that employers provide personal exposure monitoring to assess the risk and hazard awareness training for operations where there is any potential exposure to asbestos.
These are just a few of the many things to know about asbestos and potential exposure risks. To learn more about this or other industrial hygiene, environmental, health or safety issues, please visit the websites shown below.
Clark Seif Clark csceng.com
EMSL Analytical, Inc. emsl.com
LA Testing latesting.com
Zimmetry Environmental zimmetry.com
Healthy Indoors Magazine healthyindoors.com
