Asbestos Exposure
Serious Risk from Asbestos Exposure
The U.S. Geological Survey reports that asbestos continues to be imported for use in friction products (e.g., brakes and clutches), roofing products, gaskets, and thermal insulation. Construction workers are at particular risk of asbestos exposure. Workers in the asbestos removal industry are also potentially exposed. Industrial maintenance personnel are at risk when they repair equipment that is insulated with asbestos-containing material, as are automotive service personnel involved in brake and clutch repair work.
Workplace exposure to asbestos is a serious occupational health problem in the United States. As many as eight million workers have been exposed to asbestos. In 1991, NIOSH estimated that nearly 700,000 workers in general industry remained potentially exposed to asbestos. That estimate did not even include mining, railroad work, agriculture, and several other industry sectors.
In addition, “take-home” exposure, exposure involving family members of workers who bring asbestos home on their hair, clothing, or shoes, is a well-recognized hazard and was addressed in a 1995 NIOSH report to Congress (Report).