All You Wanted To Know About Asbestos Legislation

by Kirsten Hawkins

It is necessary for all the Americans to have an understanding of Asbestos legislation. Asbestos legislation refers to the US government's attitude towards the asbestos Victims. Asbestos was widely used in the industry for a considerable amount of time. However, asbestos is harmful contaminant and causes harmful diseases such as asbestosis and a fatal cancer known as mesothelioma. It is important for our government to understand the plight of Asbestos victims, and streamline asbestos legislation for providing due compensation to asbestos victims.

Bail out bill:

In spite of the serious nature of Asbestos health hazards, government is taking it very lightly. The last version of the bail out bill of the Asbestos Legislation has provisions that inadequately compensate asbestos victims. The amount proposed in the proposed legislation is not sufficient to take into account the plight of millions of workers, their dependents, reduced life expectancy, and massive medical bills. The companies that have been using Asbestos, in spite of being aware of its ill effects, should be asked to compensate for the lives and health of hapless asbestos workers.

Acoustic Asbestos Ceiling Removal, Is It Necessary?

Takuya Hikichi

Homeowners with acoustic asbestos ceiling question about the effects of asbestos contained within its materials that if inhaled would cause serious health hazards.

If material contains more than 1% of asbestos, EPA defines as it's containing. However, asbestos can only be positively identified by microscope. Many of the homes built prior to 1980s observe acoustic asbestos ceilings, and the removal of acoustic asbestos ceiling has become commonly done for environmental safety precautions.

Many homes contain acoustic asbestos ceiling in their bedrooms, living rooms, with spray-applied textures. However, asbestos materials are also in pipe insulation, shingles, floor tile, mastics, roofing, structural steel fireproofing, etc.

University of Arizona Dept. of Risk Management and Safety explains the hazards of asbestos in the following manner.

"Asbestos is a respiratory hazard and espiratory/gastrointestinal carcinogen. Exposure to asbestos occurs when reparable fibers are released into the air and then inhaled. Since exposure occurs when asbestos is inhaled, the best way to prevent exposure is to prevent asbestos fibers from becoming airborne.

Asbestos containing materials are therefore divided into two categories: friable and non-friable. Friable means that a material is able to be reduced to powder by hand pressure. Asbestos containing materials that are friable, by their nature, have a much greater tendency to release fibers. They require specific control measures to prevent releasing fibers into the air. Conversely, non-friable asbestos containing materials, by their nature, do not want to give up their fibers into the air. This class of materials must be mechanically impacted (power tools such as sanders, drills, chippers, saws, etc.) to release fibers. Asbestos containing textured ceiling materials is a friable material."

Is Asbestos Ceiling Removal Hazardous?

Although breathing of asbestos fibers post threats to human health, unless air contamination occurs to cause releasing of asbestos airborne and becomes friable, it would not affect environment. Moreover, several layers of paint applied to the ceiling over the years serves to “seal” acoustic asbestos ceiling and withhold materials from dangerously contacting occupants.

Homeowners should not unnecessarily impact the ceiling by placing fixtures onto the ceiling or by moving objects surrounding the environment. When done improperly, asbestos becomes into airborne and increases the risk of releasing its fibers to be inhaled. Because asbestos fibers are small and light, they can be suspended in the air for long periods of time. Therefore, unprofessional management of acoustic asbestos ceiling removal should not be preceded and a licensed asbestos abatement professional must conduct removal.

To find out more, please visit http://www.acoustic-asbestos-ceiling-removal.com/

Over the next 20 years, chances are that every year more than 10,000 Americans will die of Asbestos related disease. More than 2,500 Americans are being diagnosed for mesothelioma each year. In spite of these alarming figures, the federal government has not invested in early detection and cure of these diseases. This Asbestos legislation ignores the vital need of funds required for compensation to asbestos victims and research for asbestos related disease. To add to the woes of asbestos victims, mesothelioma patients as termed as 'beyond help'.

This proposed Asbestos legislation puts the law obeying companies at a disadvantage. According to the proposed bill, the companies responsible for causing asbestos exposure are going Scott free. A public opinion drive is going on wherein all the persons are requested to write to the senators to put some more sense in the forthcoming asbestos bill. This is important because the people who have been wronged should get their due compensation. Moreover, asbestos legislation should contain provisions for stringent measures to curb the use of this harmful contaminant.
About the Author

Kirsten Hawkins is a asbestos and mesothelioma specialist from Nashville, TN. Visit http://www.asbestosblog.org/ for information on asbestos reform, mesothelioma lawsuit news, and more.

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