Asbestos insulation was a unique substance once utilized in both homes and commercial buildings. Not a warm, fluffy blanket that keeps houses and spaces toasty by insulating heat against escape.
It is from thin fibres of rocks typically found deep in the earth. Asbestos used to be popular because it was so tough, fireproof and long-lasting. These facts made asbestos insulation such a natural solution for plugging into insulating homes to make them warmer and more energy efficient.
Nonetheless, while asbestos insulation was a godsend in many ways, it also has a dark underbelly. Eventually, it was discovered that the minuscule fibres within asbestos could become dislodged and airborne.
These fibres could make you very sick if swallowed or inhaled and an individual might not realise it immediately; perhaps even long after the event. Which is why you, today probably do not have asbestos insulation anymore.
So, we turn to alternatives less dangerous and where we can feel more comfortable doing what it takes to heat our own homes.
What Asbestos Insulation Was Used For
Asbestos insulation used to be added throughout structures They were enclosed in insulation and wires to keep warm water hot, cool water cold. It was also placed inside walls and ceilings in homes so that the heat would be preserved during winter months and cold air kept indoors to provide burn-hole through summer.
At times, this was placed under the floors to stop heat from getting away through the floor. Asbestos insulation was also used in industrial plants and large buildings.
And because it could withstand extremely high temperatures without catching fire, it was great for locations where all kinds of machines would get hot.
Asbestos insulation was nothing more than just some cheap building materials for the people who had to work with it. They were not aware that it was dangerous.
What Makes Asbestos Insulation Harmful
Asbestos insulation is dangerous because of the small fibres. They are invisible to the naked eye fibres can float in the air as if they were dust particles. These fibers, when inhaled by someone can become lodged into their lungs.
These do not then make you ill instantly, but will increasingly cause health consequences over time. The most serious health condition related to asbestos is a disease called mesothelioma.
That disease causes lung scars and makes it difficult for people to breathe. Asbestos is also a nasty disease that can give you something called lung cancer, which makes your lungs all yucky and gives you heart trouble.
Mesothelioma is another disease possible to be derived from Asbestos.. it is an uncommon type of cancer that occurs in the lining surrounding the lungs or stomach.
Because these diseases are so grave, doctors and researchers have been able to penetrate the mystery of how asbestos promotes its onset. They discovered that it takes many decades after a person first breathes in the fibres for the diseases to develop often 20, 30 or even up to 40 years later. This is why it took people so long to discover that asbestos insulation was dangerous.
Asbestos Insulation | What Are We Supposed To Do With It Today?
A case in point is asbestos insulation, which we now understand to be harmful we never use it these days. However, a few of the old buildings have asbestos insulation in them.
Whenever anyone talks about asbestos in a building, caution is the watchword. You should never disturb something that is potentially asbestos. As long as the asbestos fibers remain in the insulation they cannot harm you. The danger arises when the fibres are released into the air.
Buildings that contain asbestos have to be worked on by people who know how to remove it without hurting themselves. They don protective suits and face masks to prevent inhaling the microscopic fibres.
After removing the asbestos, they put it away in special containers so that the same can be discarded safely. Strict regulation about Asbestos is necessary If overindulged without due diligence, it can be very damaging.
That is why schools, homes and offices are inspected to ensure that they do not contain any asbestos which can cause illness.
How Do We Stay Safe?
Protecting yourself from asbestos is vital as well. While some building materials still contain asbestos, we do not generally rely on it as insulation or in the same way that people used to but you may live somewhere old and want/need information so here is how. These are simple and some basic steps for your safety.
If you come across what looks to be insulation, do not touch it. It may contain asbestos, and physically moving the material can cause fibres to become airborne.
- Tell the teacher: If you are at school or home and see any insulation that looks very old, or damaged tell your parents right away. It will be able to determine what it is and how you can move forward.
- Avoid: Do not enter a building with asbestos in it, stay away from the area until it is safe. People who clean up asbestos will advise you when it would be safe to re-enter an area.
- Avoid playing in dust: It doesn’t have to be asbestos don’t play with dust! Dust makes you cough and sneeze, and there could be other stuff in the dust that will make you sick.
You can keep yourself and other people safe from fake minerals by adhering to these simple rules.
Lessons Learned About Asbestos Insulation
One thing we have learned about insulation that contains asbestos over the years is. Initially, people were just glad to have a method to keep homes and other buildings warm. But we now know that it may be very dangerous because of these tiny fibres in them (Source: Global News)
People got sick from asbestos, we put our smartest minds to work in a concerted effort and we figured out why it is harmful and how not to get killed by the stuff. We no longer use asbestos, and there are no specific guidelines to remove any remaining molecules of the substance that may still exist in old building materials.
On a positive note, it should be remembered that though asbestos insulation is no longer used, there are plenty of existing installations to remain wary about. We must know about asbestos for our safety, as well as be a helping hand to others so we all can protect each other.
Asbestos insulation is a part of our history, and now that we have more information about it, we can prevent the dangers from affecting anyone else.
But, of course, technological advancements today have given us substantially safer materials to heat our homes so that we can do the right thing for both ourselves and those around us.
Life After Asbestos Insulation
But it is a fact of the past that there are much safer methods by which you can safeguard your building from cold temperatures and other similar conditions without having to use asbestos insulation. Scientists are looking for new ways to keep us safe all the time, and with that comes inventing newer materials.
That is one of the great advantages of these new materials as they do not carry the same hazards that come from asbestos. They insulate just as well and don’t shed fine fibres into the air.
That we can be kept warm and safe without having to cough our lungs out. Perhaps even some sort of new insulation that is better at trapping heat and making sure we are warm now or in the future.
After all, new things are always being uncovered by scientists and one day we could have insulation that keeps our homes warm but also does something very useful for the environment 🙂.
It is good to know that at least until then, we made the lesson from history. Through being educated on the risk factors associated with asbestos insulation, an individual can help in finding safer alternatives to aid in better insulating our buildings and keeping everybody safe from harm. Well, it feels pretty good. And that is a very nice thing to feel great about