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California Worker Safety Alert Asbestos

June 7th, 2007 Posted by Amelia

Asbestos is deadly. When it breaks up, it’s released into the air in particles too small to see, and those particles can be breathed into the body. The results? Asbestosis, lung cancer, gastrointestinal cancer, and mesothelioma.

A California worker safety alert says that the dangers of asbestos are not over. Mechanics and others in the car repair business are still at risk. Older cars and trucks may still have asbestos. That asbestos is usually found in the clutches and brakes of those old vehicles, and when mechanics must work on those older cars and trucks, a danger of exposure results.

There is no way in advance to know which truck or car’s clutches or brakes contain the material, so mechanics are being warned by the California OSHA alert to handle each and every one as if it were a danger.

Management is required by CAL OSHA to develop a game plan for handling asbestos. It is also required to turn that game plan into reality by insuring that everyone in the shop is trained to follow those procedures, and does so. A brake or clutch containing asbestos, when removed wrongly, can put everyone in the shop at risk.

There are some steps that can be taken to assure that asbestos exposure is at a minimum. Wetting the asbestos to limit airborne particles is one of those steps. Another is to wrap up and seal the asbestos in well-marked bags. OSHA recommends using the negative pressure enclosure/HEPA vacuum system method, and the low pressure/wet cleaning technique to curb the asbestos problem. OSHA allows the wet method only for shops doing five or fewer brake and/or clutch jobs a week. A spray can/solvent method is allowed in some cases.

Consumers who like to work on their own cars should take note of the fact that they, too, can become exposed to asbestos. It’s best, according to OSHA, to take that truck or car, especially if it’s an older model, to a professional mechanic. Remember that each year in the U.S. alone, about 10,000 people die of asbestos-related diseases.