I have to be honest, I LOVE stories like this! Too often the need (greed) for increased profits and lower costs drives some less scrupulous people to cut corners where they shouldn’t. Don’t get me wrong, I’m all about “value” for my money but putting innocent people in harm’s way to make a couple of extra dollars is just wrong no matter how you slice it! I LOVE that Canadian courts are starting to actually sentence jail time for this!!
Removing asbestos on your construction/demolition/property site is about more than just following rules.. Asbestos is a dangerous substance that, when formed and applied to pipes, floor tiles, ceilings and walls, etc. is relatively inert. But when it is broken apart and released into the air in its powdery, fibrous form, it can easily be breathed into the lungs, and that’s when the problems begin.
According to CBC News, a man was recently jailed for sixty days because he knowingly failed to adequately protect his workers from asbestos exposure at a demolition site:
“Arthur Moore was sentenced in B.C. Supreme Court Tuesday for contempt after ignoring court orders that he halt all demolition work after failing several times to provide protection for his workers while they handled asbestos.”
Asbestos removal on a demolition site, or anywhere else, MUST be done properly to minimize air contamination for the workers and for those who just happen to be nearby. Contrary to popular belief, asbestos exposure does not cause cancer (at least not directly.) It causes asbestosis. (Note: some recent studies may have actually proven a link between asbestos and lung cancer.)
Asbestos fibers have microscopic hook-like structures which can lodge in delicate lung tissue and chronically irritate it. Over time, layers upon layers of scar tissue build up in the lung. This scar tissue can’t exchange oxygen. If enough asbestos fibers lodge in the lung, the victim will essentially suffocate. It’s a disease process that takes years, even decades, but it is painful and miserable. What’s worse is that this condition is one hundred percent preventable. All it takes is proper equipment to seal off the areas in which asbestos is being removed, and properly trained workers wearing adequate air-filtering masks and protective clothing.
It’s best to hire a PROFESSIONAL company who really knows asbestos removal–and the safety precautions involved–when dealing with asbestos in any of your sites/properties and buildings.. Please contact us for any questions you may have about safe, professional removal of asbestos, we’re at your service!
