If you live in a home or work in an office where you may be exposed to asbestos or suspect that you may be exposed to asbestos, it’s important to understand the possible consequences of such exposure. As the leading environmental remediation company in Ohio and Western Pennsylvania, here at SafeAir Contractors, we want you to understand just how important asbestos remediation is.
Asbestos Exposure: What You Need to Know About Being Exposed
When we talk about asbestos remediation, we’re talking about removing or encapsulating asbestos contaminated material to prevent exposure. But why is it so important to avoid exposure to asbestos? If you haven’t already, we recommend reading over our article “What is Asbestos?” to find out exactly what asbestos is and why it poses a risk to your health. In short, however, asbestos is comprised of small fibers and when those fibers are released into the air, we breathe them in. Once breathed in, these fibers wreck havoc on our respiratory systems and contribute to a range of ill health effects.
What Happens if You Don’t Remove Asbestos?
The longer someone is exposed to asbestos, the longer they are breathing in asbestos fibers and the more of those fibers are building up in their body. As more asbestos fibers build up, the chance of developing serious health concerns related to that asbestos buildup skyrockets.
For example, imagine that you were to ingest a small amount of poison. For this particular poison, a small amount will not kill you, but it will get stored away in the body. As a result of this small amount of poison, you may begin to feel a little “off”. Now, imagine that you were to ingest that same amount of poison every single day. As you ingest more and more, more and more of the poison is stored in your body and you run the risk of developing even more severe side effects and symptoms.
Now, in this example above, if you have the choice not to continue to take this small amount of poison daily, why wouldn’t you make that choice? The concept is the same for many contaminants in our environment, including asbestos.
Asbestos is a risk to your health and the longer you are exposed to it, the more at risk you are for developing severe illness. THAT is why it’s so important to address asbestos contamination when you become aware of it rather than putting off the problem until later.
How Does Asbestos Removal Help if I’ve Already Been Exposed?
If you have already been exposed to asbestos what difference does it make if you get the asbestos-contaminated material removed? In the example above we referenced taking a small amount of poison daily contributing to side effects that gradually get worse. Some people, however, feel that if they have already been exposed to a toxin, they shouldn’t spend any more time worrying about future exposure because they’ve already been put at risk. The truth is that yes, you may already have developed an illness as a result of asbestos exposure, but you may not have, your children may not have. This is all the more reason to eliminate the source of the problem right away. It’s also important to consider that just because you are willing to gamble with your health, others may not be and anyone that you invite into your home (or anyone who purchases your home in the future) will involuntarily be exposed to a dangerous material that you already knew was there. You knowingly put others at risk. That is not just unfair, it’s something that can be pursued in a court of law. So, whichever way you look at it, whatever your motivation, there is always a good reason to address contamination of your home, office, or company structure with asbestos.
Reducing and Preventing Asbestos Exposure
If you currently have asbestos in your home, office, or workplace, it’s important that you address the problem right away. If you live in Ohio or Western Pennsylvania, SafeAir Contractors can help! Just pick up the phone and give us a call today at 440-639-1191 and let us know how we can help you to eliminate the risks associated with asbestos exposure.
