Asbestos and the Workplace
Out of all the contaminants you may come in contact with while at the office, asbestos is certainly one of the worst. Asbestos can be frightening and hard to detect if you don’t take the proper measures. Furthermore, it can lead to serious illness. As such, it’s the responsibility of the business owner to ensure that all commercial properties are free of asbestos hazards. While this sounds simple, it’s a lot harder than it may seem. If you find yourself in this situation, you need to read on. We have compiled some of the best ways to protect your employees from asbestos exposure.
Awareness Is Key
When protecting your employees, one of the key elements to their safety is awareness. In most cases, asbestos exposure is a slow process that may take many months to start showing signs. So it can be difficult for the uninformed to understand the signs and seek proper treatment. Educating your employees on the most common symptoms of asbestos exposure will save their lives and give you peace of mind that you have enabled your employees to keep their health while working.
Get Your Building Checked Regularly
One way to protect your employees from asbestos exposure is to get your building checked before doing any upgrades. It may come as a surprise, but many older buildings have lots of asbestos in various areas. To keep your employees safe, if you are doing any renovations where building materials will be disturbed test them first for asbestos content. For example, if you are going to knock down a wall, test the joint compound first. If you are going to remove floor tiles, have them tested for asbestos content first.
Monitor the Air
Yet another method you could use to protect your employees from asbestos exposure is continual monitoring of the air. Asbestos most commonly spreads through tiny particulates that moving air pushes around. This may sound like a problem that’s extremely difficult to catch. However, having an air monitoring system is a very easy way to ensure that your asbestos problems don't continue to grow.
We hope you’ve enjoyed our guide on the top ways to protect your employees from asbestos in the workplace. If you’re looking to hire an asbestos removal company to ensure you're building stays clear and clean from asbestos, be sure to reach out to Air Safe, Inc.
