Occupational exposure to asbestos occurs during the performance of job duties and may place a worker at risk. Exposure is defined as a percutaneous Effected or performed through the skin, injury (e.g., needle stick or cut with a sharp object), contact of mucous membranes, breathing toxic or dangerous substances such as asbestos, or contact of skin (especially when the exposed skin is chapped, abraded, or afflicted with dermatitis or the contact is prolonged or involving an extensive area) with blood or other body fluids to which universal precautions apply.
The Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), the World Health Organization (WHO), and the EPA have determined that asbestos is a human carcinogen. It is known that breathing asbestos can increase the risk of cancer in people. There are two types of cancer caused by exposure to asbestos: lung cancer and mesothelioma.
The federal government has taken a number of steps to protect citizens from exposure to asbestos. First, on July 12, 1989, EPA established a ban on new uses of asbestos. Uses established before this date are still allowable. Second, EPA has established regulations that require school systems to inspect for asbestos and, if damaged asbestos is found, to eliminate or reduce the exposure, either by removing the asbestos or by covering it up so it cannot get into the air. In addition, EPA provides guidance and support for reducing asbestos exposure in other public buildings. Third, EPA regulates the release of asbestos from factories and during building demolition or renovation to prevent asbestos from getting into the environment. EPA also regulates the disposal of waste asbestos materials or products, requiring these to be placed only in approved locations. Fourth, EPA has proposed a limit of 7 million fibers per liter on the concentration of long fibers (length greater than or equal to 5 µm) that may be present in drinking water. Fifth, FDA regulates the use of asbestos in the preparation of drugs and restricts the use of asbestos in food-packaging materials. NIOSH has recommended that inhalation exposures not exceed 100,000 fibers with lengths greater than or equal to 5 µm per m3 of air (0.1 fibers/mL). OSHA has established an enforceable limit on the average 8-hour daily concentration of asbestos allowed in air in the workplace to be 100,000 fibers with lengths greater than or equal to 5 µm per m3 of air (0.1 fibers/mL).
To this day high risk jobs include:
Arts & Media;
Assemblers & Fabricators;
Cleaning & Pest Control ;
Construction;
Crop & Livestock Production;
Engineering, Sciences & Education;
Extractive;
Farmworkers;
Fishing & Hunting;
Food Processing;
Food Service;
Grounds Maintenance;
Health;
Installation, Maintenance & Repair;
Logging, Forest & Conservation;
Material Moving;
Metalworking & Plasticworking;
Miscellaneous Production;
Other Services;
Printing;
Textile, Apparel & Furnishings;
Utilities & Transportation;
Welding, Soldering & Brazing;
Woodworkers;
and many other occupations in which asbestos is still in use.
If you think you have been exposed, there are additional sources of information about asbestos are the 10 regional offices of the EPA. Most EPA regional offices have an asbestos coordinator who can assist you with finding the information you need.
The federal government develops regulations and recommendations to protect public health. Regulations can be enforced by law. Federal agencies that develop regulations for toxic substances include the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Recommendations provide valuable guidelines to protect public health but cannot be enforced by law. Federal organizations that develop recommendations for toxic substances include the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), all of which have websites, pamphlets and provide information on asbestos exposure and its risk for mesothelioma cancer.
