I Touched Asbestos. Now, What Do I Do?
People previously thought asbestos was a miraculous substance. Many industries, such as construction, consumer electronics, and automotive, employed it because it was fire-resistant, chemical-resistant, abrasion-resistant, water-resistant, had a high tensile strength, was very flexible, ductile, and more. Sadly, one find showed it to be “too good to be true.” Researchers found that asbestos releases tiny fibers into the air that can penetrate into people’s lungs and cause scarring, inflammation, and a type of lung cancer called mesothelioma.
Because of this revelation, asbestos was made illegal. But even though many countries have banned it and made rules about it, it is still in a lot of old buildings, ships, and equipment.
It’s really important to act right away if you think you’ve been around asbestos. If you contact asbestos or think you might have been exposed, here is what you should do.
1. Stay calm and don’t touch the material
Don’t panic if you’ve touched asbestos or something that might have asbestos in it. The risk of asbestos comes from its fibers getting into the air. If you merely handled asbestos and didn’t break it, the chance of exposure is quite low. Don’t touch it again. Don’t massage your hands or blow on the stuff.
2. Clean your hands completely
You should wash your hands and any skin that may have come into contact with suspected asbestos right away with soap and water. Don’t stir up the dust too much so that fibers don’t go into the air. Asbestos fibers are very small and can get on your skin, clothes, and hands. Wash your hands for at least 20 seconds, paying specific attention to the fingernails, wrists, and under the nails, where fibers tend to build up.
3. Take off and clean clothes that are dirty
Change your clothes right away if you have come into contact with something that has asbestos in it. Put the garments that have asbestos on them in a sealed plastic bag and don’t shake them. This could release the asbestos fibers into the air. When you wash garments at home, do them in hot water with detergent and not with other laundry. To avoid exposure, wear gloves while handling clothes that have been exposed to asbestos.
4. Don’t sweep or vacuum the area
Never use a vacuum or broom to clean an area that has asbestos fibers in it. When you use a regular vacuum cleaner, the fibers get stirred up and distributed into the air, which makes it more likely that you will breathe them in. For cleanup and disposal, call a professional asbestos removal company.
5. Keep an eye out for symptoms
Asbestos exposure for a short time may not create substantial health concerns right away, but long-term exposure can lead to serious health problems. People who are exposed to asbestos will not show signs of sickness for many years. If you think you could have been exposed to asbestos, keep an eye on your health for signs and symptoms like:
- Not being able to breathe
- Coughing that doesn’t go away
- Pain or tightness in the chest
- Weight reduction that can’t be explained
- A swollen neck or face
- If you have any of these symptoms, you should consult a doctor right once.
6. Think about hiring professionals to test and remove asbestos
You must have a professional test any material you find or disturb that you think might contain asbestos. Only licensed asbestos abatement trainees can touch materials that contain asbestos. When professionals do sampling, they take samples of the items that are being tested in a lab.
If you can establish that the material includes asbestos, you should not touch it and should get a qualified asbestos removal service to safely remove and dispose of the asbestos.
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