Asbestos Exposure Risks and National Asbestos Awareness Week

In early 2014, the U.S. Senate passed a resolution to create the 10th Annual National Asbestos Awareness Week.  The first week of April has been established for this event in order to raise awareness of asbestos exposure risks and the diseases that it can cause.
 
Exposure to asbestos fibers is an international concern.  The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that, “Currently about 125 million people in the world are exposed to asbestos at the workplace. In 2004, asbestos-related lung cancer, mesothelioma and asbestosis from occupational exposures resulted in 107,000 deaths and 1,523,000 Disability Adjusted Life Years (DALYs). In addition, several thousands of deaths can be attributed to other asbestos-related diseases, as well as to non-occupational exposures to asbestos.”  Just last week, Acting U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Boris Lushniak commented about National Asbestos Awareness Week by stating, “…there is no known safe level of asbestos exposure and precautions should be taken to protect your health.” 
 
Asbestos has been used in many products and building materials in the past due to its strength and ability to resist heat and corrosion. “ABIH supports the efforts of National Asbestos Awareness Week in bringing to light the hazards associated with asbestos and the need to protect workers and the public,” said Lynn O’Donnell, CIH, Executive Director for the American Board of Industrial Hygiene. “Certified Industrial Hygienists are trained and experienced in air sampling, health risk analysis, hazard communication, community exposure, engineering controls & ventilation, and work environments to minimize potential asbestos exposure risks. Companies, agencies and organizations are encouraged to utilize CIHs in order to better quantify and manage their risks involving worker and community exposure to asbestos.”
 
To learn more about the American Board of Industrial Hygiene, the CIH program or to locate a CIH in a specific geographical region, please visit www.ABIH.org, email abih@ABIH.org or call (517) 321-2638.
 
About the American Board of Industrial Hygiene
Since 1960, ABIH, a not-for-profit corporation, has been the world’s largest, premier organization for certifying professionals in the practice of industrial hygiene. ABIH is responsible for ensuring high-quality certification including education, experience, examination, certification maintenance and ethics enforcement. Currently, more than 6700 people are certified to use the CIH designation.

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