Despite the fact that asbestos is a natural mineral that has been used in 4,000 different building products for its insulating, fire-retardant and corrosion-resistant properties, it has been proven that inhaling this material can lead to health issues such as lung cancer and mesothelioma. The risk of inhaling asbestos fibers increases with the length and intensity of exposure as well as the individual’s susceptibility.
Asbestos is a group of six naturally occurring fibrous silicate minerals: chrysotile, crocidolite, amosite, anthophyllite and tremolite. Asbestos was commonly used in construction, particularly for insulating and fireproofing applications because of its tensile strength, low cost and resistance to heat and corrosion. However, when asbestos is cut, scraped or broken, the microscopic fibers become airborne and can be inhaled.
By the mid-1930s, it was widely recognized that sufficient exposure to asbestos could cause pulmonary disability (asbestosis) and chest X-ray abnormalities. By 1969, it was also becoming known that asbestos exposure also increased the chance of developing certain types of cancer. By the time SAS Asbestos became operational in 1970, it was recognized that asbestos-induced diseases were dose-response related. Six months after SAS Asbestos became operational, the Walsh-Healey Act set an initial OSHA consensus-based standard of 12 asbestos fibers/m3 > 5 microns in length and a maximum exposure level of 10 asbestos fibers/m3 for up to 15 minutes in an hour.
