Warning Signs of Asbestos in the Workplace

Asbestos is extremely harmful and can easily infest any workplace. Whether the workplace you manage is an industrial workplace, a commercial workplace, or anything in between, you must be aware of the warning signs of an asbestos infestation.

By knowing the warning signs of asbestos, you can properly and fully inspect your workspace for it if you think you might have a problem.

This could also help you to eliminate asbestos more quickly, thereby reducing the risks associated with asbestos exposure for yourself and your employees, as well as potentially reducing your liability should anyone in your workplace face health concerns because of asbestos exposure.

Constant Coughing

One of the early warning signs of asbestos exposure is constant coughing from your employees or reported problems with coughing for reasons unknown from several of your employees.

Asbestos can irritate the lungs and, if not dealt with, can cause serious lung damage or even cancers with long-term exposure.

As such, address any coughing concerns immediately. Issues other than asbestos, such as poor air quality, could be to blame, but the only way to know for sure is with a professional investigation into the cause.

Old Flooring

Another warning sign that asbestos could potentially have affected your workplace is if you have old flooring in place, especially tile flooring.

Flooring is a common place for asbestos to collect. If you have not replaced or uprooted your flooring in a long time, inspect your workspace.

In fact, even if you just have remnants or outlines of old flooring, you should still inspect the place for asbestos just in case. The remnants that you can see could hold remnants of asbestos.

Pre-1980s Construction

Another suspect reason for your workplace potentially having contamination from asbestos is if the building was built before the 1980s. This was a period in which people did not understand the dangers of asbestos, so this precarious substance can often be found in buildings from before 1980.

If you are not the first owner of a pre-1980s workplace or if you did not fully inspect it before purchase, then you would be smart to check things out just in case any dangers lurk for you and your employees.

Reported Breathing Difficulties

Another common indicator that your employees may have regular exposure to asbestos is if they report any breathing difficulties on the job.

Many people suffering from asbestos exposure will think they have asthma or other more common ailments. If the symptoms are widespread, your workers may be exposed to asbestos.

As such, if one or more employees complains of any type of breathing complications, especially if these symptoms are only present while on the jobsite, check out your workspace for possible asbestos contamination.

Asbestos contamination is a concern on the job. If asbestos is present in your workplace and you do not notice it, serious harm could come to you and your employees.

Furthermore, if you do not notice asbestos and your employees or anyone else exposed to your business suffers as a result, you could find yourself facing litigation.

To help prevent these kinds of consequences, report any potential indicators of an asbestos issue. And if you have a professional inspection that finds asbestos on your property, then the next step is for thorough asbestos abatement.

If you need professional assistance with dealing with known contamination, know that you can always turn to the caring experts at Apex. We would be happy to provide asbestos abatement for your workplace to make sure that you, your employees, and any customers or clients that come into your building are safe from asbestos problems.