Did you know that if your office building was built any time before 1990, it stands a decent chance of containing dangerous asbestos? It’s true. Asbestos is not a problem from a bygone era, like we would all like to think.
If you even suspect that asbestos may be in your office, get it checked out. You owe it to everyone who breathes that air
Asbestos is still a problem
According to Asbestos.com, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) estimates that 11 million people were exposed to asbestos between 1940 and 1978. However, it remains a prevalent problem.
Using data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) database, EWG calculated that from 1993 to 2013, 189,000 to 221,000 people (12,000 to 15,000 per year) died from mesothelioma, lung cancer, and asbestosis in the United States.
“As shocking as these figures are, they may be too low,” said epidemiologist and former assistant Surgeon General Dr. Richard Lemen in a press release from EWG Action Fund.
A key health risk you face with asbestos is contracting mesothelioma. This asbestos-related cancer that forms on the protective lining of certain parts of the body, most commonly the lungs or abdomen. And the numbers show mesothelioma claimed nearly 30,000 lives in the United States From 1999 to 2010.
In 2015 alone:
- Lakehead University expressed concerns about asbestos levels in one of the university’s largest buildings
- Asbestos was found to be in some tile this year following work that was completed last spring at a school in Nanaimo, BC
The scariest part of asbestos
You may not know anyone in your office has been exposed for years, or even decades after working there. It is not like people will instantly show symptoms if there is a problem.
Scotland Yard recently found out that some buildings used for firearms training between 1980 and 2007 may have contained asbestos.
Chief Superintendent Mike Gallagher, from the Specialist Firearms Command, said: “Clearly this is not just an issue affecting the Met, with asbestos present in many industrial and residential properties built prior to 2000.
This means, 30,000 police officers may have been exposed to toxic asbestos. Some of whom are now retired. Think about that! Now think of all the people who come in and out of your office.
Are You Concerned That Your office Has Asbestos?
If you suspect that you workplace might have asbestos, you’re going to need professional help. Dealing with asbestos needs to be done properly, and there is no way to cut corners.
At Assurance Environmental Inspection Services, we have helped countless homeowners accurately identify whether they have asbestos, which in turn leads to asbestos removal recommendations.
Our certified asbestos specialists will use state-of-the-art technology to properly detect and identify presumed asbestos containing material in your home, so you can confidently renovate and/or resell your home.
