Occupational Safety and Health Standards regarding Asbestos - Essay Example

Introduction: According to the Asbestos Convention of 1986, the term asbestos means the fibrous form of minerals silicates belonging to the rock-forming minerals of the serpentine group, which includes chrysolite (white asbestos) and of the amphibole group (actinolite, amosite, anthophyllite, crocidollite and tremolite). Commercially the most important are the white, blue and brown asbestos otherwise known as chrysolite, crocidollite and amosite (Bartrip 3) while the largest deposits occur in Russia, South Africa and Canada (Bartrip 3). Asbestos fibers are thin, chemically stable, flexible, and resistant to corrosion and heat making them very useful in industry. These properties have resulted in its widespread use yet while the fibrous minerals have undeniable usefulness, some have resulted in widespread human health effects (Craighead and Gibbs 4; Cohrssen and Vernon 261). Since the fibers are very thin and easily float in air making, they are easily inhaled. According to Nims (84), once inhaled, they are short enough to penetrate (10µm) the respiratory duct which is a significant and efficient route for airborne dusts. The small particles become lodged into the lungs causing irritation and eventually lung diseases. Asbestos could lead to lung cancer (Craighead and Gibbs 6). Asbestos becomes an industrial hygiene concern since even with continued exposure of workers, most of them are not aware of the exposure. Primary exposure is in the mining and milling industries through exposure to asbestos containing materials (Cohrssen and Vernon 261) while secondary exposure may be through use of asbestos products at home, in offices, schools leaving everyone at a risk of exposure. Therefore there becomes a need for an effective industrial hygiene program so as to protect the health and safety of the worker (Nims 12). According to Nims (12), the industrial hygiene program provides information that is necessary for an effective periodic evaluation of an employee by a health professional in order to ensure that health problems associated with chemical exposures or physical agents are detected early when there is time to prevent permanent or debilitating injury. According to Nims (12), an industrial hygiene program consists of the following:- Anticipation/recognition of health hazards, evaluation of health hazards, control of health hazards, record keeping, employee training, and periodic program review, changes and updates with the overall goal being to protect worker’s health. Anticipating/recognizing health hazards means familiarizing with the hazards present and the health effects. Industrial hygienists should identify all chemical, physical, biological and ergonomic hazards present (Nims 12) and in so doing, this will put under control the hazards identified. Evaluation of health hazards may involve measurement of industrial gases levels of exposure to asbestos and measure the risks posed. Such kinds of regulation are clearly administered by OSHA and particularly on asbestos dust, such industrial hygiene measures have seen strict requirements for industries to ventilate their exhaust fumes well, and in some circumstances the requirement for breathing apparatus for employees and this has considerably healthier working environments and conditions for those working in asbestos industries. Industrial hygienists play a key role in recognizing potential hazards and implementing controls to protect worker health (Nims 21). The role of the industrial hygienist has seen asbestos use is more regulated in the United States for health and safety reasons to cushion industrial workers from its adverse health effects. Unfortunately, even as the developed world discontinue with its use, it is widely used in the developing world where labour is cheaper and environmental standards poor (Craighead and Gibbs 6) thus resulting in poisonings, injuries and deaths History of Asbestos and Its Health Effects Asbestos as a group of commercially useful fibrous minerals is a 20th century phenomenon beginning principally in Canada (Craighead and Gibbs 7) but according to Craighead and Gibbs (23), naturally occurring fibrous minerals have been used by humans for more than 4500 years. In ancient Greece, asbestos was used to make clothes to burry rulers and to be worn by slaves. The Romans quarried chrystoline and tremolite in the Alps (Craighead and Gibbs 23). With the discovery of asbestos in Quebec, two things that are of importance sprung up: its economic importance was quickly realized and lands prices near the mines shot up. The first asbestos specimen was shown in an International exhibition in London in 1982 an asbestos product company opened in Quebec in 1871(Craighead and Gibbs 8). The health effects had still not been given attention until when in Quebec, in Thetford mines, the rates of tuberculosis went to almost twice the normal national rate and the highest in any community in that province (Craighead and Gibbs 8). This is when the health effects of the ‘white gold’ were felt. In the United States, it was widely used by the navy especially in shipbuilding. There were many health issues at that time but its effects were yet to be realized. A Drinker-Roche survey on the US maritime’s workers health showed that most health issues facing the maritime workers were those of injuries, accidents and eye problems caused by lead. Much was not said of asbestos but worker’s health deteriorated even with safety recommendations from the report. On January 1943, the navy department appointed health consultants to deal with the issue and in 1943; it was recommended that industrial dust levels be measured and necessary precautions taken. In mean time, miners and millers continued to carry home raw asbestos dust from their clothes and skin putting their families’ lives at risk. The discovery of asbestos causing problems triggered increasing interest in protection of the exposed (Craighead and Gibbs 9). The OSHA Hazard communication standard went into effect in1986 and it required employers to inform employees about health hazards specific to materials they handle or use at work and ways to protect themselves form these hazards (Nims 21). This has seen, in the recent past, being more informed on the risks they are exposed to which has significantly improved on industrial hygiene. Although the use of asbestos has widely been phased out in the US through regulations from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), its products are still being used unknowingly e.g. in flower pots and roofing. Why the Issue is Important Asbestos is both a blessing and a curse. Its properties make it an exceptional industrial mineral but its health effects are detrimental. Industrialists cannot ignore and wish away the health risk it poses that is why it is an important industrial health issue. High and protracted exposure to asbestos fibers increases the risk of developing bronchio-pulmonary cancer (Guidotti 2) and eventually loss of lives. Because occupational health issues are fundamental to the working life, they have become central to social and political issues in countries with progressive policies and that have a rich culture of social responsibility (Guiditti 3). Protection and regulation remain very important to occupational health. The ILO states that every worker should be protected from sickness, disease and injury arising from their employment. The economic costs of poor heath and safety account to 4%-5% of the GDP of countries (Guidotti 5) and this should be avoided if development is to be realized and sustained. This can be arrived at if right policies touching on occupational health are adopted. A healthy and productive workforce are key to any social and economic development of any country (Guidotti 5) that is why occupational health should remain a priority of any progressive society. OSHA requires employers to protect workers from being exposed to work-related health risks including those posed by asbestos. OSHA can take action to protect workers who are exposed to a hazardous chemical (Nims 52). Such regulations Guidotti (3) notes have helped reduce the burden to the worker and the loss in the economy. According to Guidotti (4) occupational injuries and diseases can become a drag on the economy and this is why asbestos remains an important industrial hygiene and occupational health issue. ILO’s occupational safety and health standards and the WHO Global Strategy on Occupational Health adopted during WHO’s 49th assembly have helped improve occupational health of workers thus helping developed countries achieve development. Developing countries still lag behind on occupational health due to poor environmental health standards derailing efforts to fight poverty. Thus, supporting occupational health remains an important tool in fighting poverty (Guidotti 6). The ILO’s convention on Asbestos has helped protect workers from its health risks significantly reducing the health costs and strains to both families and the economy. Although much effort has been put towards this end, much still needs to be done to achieve WHO’s objective of “occupational health for all” especially by developing countries. Important Terms and Concepts From the Asbestos Convention of 1986, we find the following definitions:- (a) Asbestos means the fibrous form of mineral silicates belonging to rock-forming minerals of the serpentine group, i.e. chrysolite and amiphibole. (b) Asbestos dust means airborne particles of asbestos or settled particles of asbestos which are liable to become airborne in the working environment. (c) For purposes of measurement, airborne asbestos dust means dust particles measured by gravimetric assessment or other equivalent methods. (d) Respirable asbestos fibers mean asbestos fibers having a diameter of less than 3micrometer and a length-to-diameter ratio greater than 3:1. (e) Exposure to dust means exposure to airborne respirable asbestos fibers or asbestos dust originating from asbestos or from minerals, materials or products containing asbestos. Conclusions I have learned of the importance of a good industrial hygiene program whose sole responsibility being to protect the health and safety of workers from exposure to harzadous chemicals and dusts like asbestos. In light of the importance of an effective industrial hygiene program, I will make sure that the safety of employees comes first in any position I will hold in future. I will make that employers make it a priority to protect us (employees) from harzadous chemical, educate us on the risks of exposure and make sure that they meet the minimum requirements on safety set out by OSHA since there cannot be a progressive company without a healthy working force and worker’s safety should be at the core of our corporate culture. Key points of concern to my fellow students should be the need to create a community with healthy working environments, with a strong health service, the need for human resources to be responsive to occupational health and the need to integrate occupational health to every aspect of development. Information is very important and as such, I would urge my fellow colleagues to ensure implementation and review of their respective company’s industrial health programs including more training on its risks in accordance with recommendation of article 22 of the Asbestos Convention of 1986 which includes training on of employees on safety measures and methods mitigating the risks involved. I would also urge my generation to see to it that industries commit to ends use of harmful chemicals and adopt more environmentally and human health friendly materials. Just like Carrol (21) puts it, in the long term, industries should commit to eliminate asbestos and asbestos products from the economic cycle so that they replace them with less harmful inputs and products (Carroll 21). Lastly, everyone should have access to occupational health services and this would help develop a progressive society which is healthy, working and which realizes economic prosperity. Works Cited Bartrip, Peter. Beyond the factory gates. London: Continuum International Publishing Group, 2006. Web. 28 Oct 2012. Carrol, Stephen. Asbestos litigation. Santa Monica: RAND Corporation, 2005. Web. 30 Oct 2012. Cohrssen, Barbara and Vernon, Rose. Patty’s industrial hygiene and toxicology. John Wiley publishers, 1948. Print. Craighead, John and Gibbs, Allen. Asbestos and its diseases. London: Oxford University Press, 2008. Web. 30 Oct 2012. Gudotti, Tee. Global occupational health. London: Oxford University Press, 2011. Web. 30 Oct 2012. Nims, Debra. Basics of Industrial hygiene. John Wiley and sons, 1999. Print. Read More