Asbestos at construction sites.
"Thousands of construction workers have died from diseases caused by work with - or near - asbestos without protection. And 10,000 people are expected to die each year for the next ten years because of the past exposure to asbestos. (CPWR, (a))" There are different kind of asbestos that are hazardous to the health of 1.3 million construction workers and other employees that work around this substance everyday. .
Asbestos is a naturally occurring, widely used, mineral that can be unidentified only under the microscope. It has crystal formation of long, thin, fire-resistant fibers. Most common type of asbestos is Chrysotile, which is found in building materials. "It is a fine, silky, flexible white fiber. (EQ State, (a))" The other two common types are Amosite and Crocidolite. They are both straight fibers; one is brown, and the other is blue. Asbestos is popular in construction use because of its properties. It is resistant to abrasion, relatively resistant to chemical attack, and stable at high temperatures. .
"Because asbestos fibers are naturally occurring and [airborne, everyone is exposed to it]. (DEHS, (A))" But, to actually have serious problems with the health, the person has to be exposed for a very long period of time with a high concentration. If minerals that contain asbestos become damaged, fibers become airborne and can accumulate in the lungs of the person. This way, the exposure increases, and the risk of getting a disease also increases (in construction, these minerals could possibly be disturbed because the material that is used is soft and easily crumbled). .
Asbestos containing materials can be classified into one of the three types: sprayed materials, which are used on ceilings or walls; Thermal System Insulation (TSI), which is often found as plaster cement wrap around boilers; and miscellaneous materials, which include floor tiles, sheet rock, ceiling tiles, roofing material, fire brick, tar, and others.