Just what is asbestos and how much do we know about it?
This is a question that is often at the forefront of our mind as we aim to raise awareness and help people deal with this dangerous material. We had a little brainstorm in the office and decided that we would go out and do a little experiment. We took to the streets and asked at random a couple of people to see just what they knew (if anything) about asbestos and more importantly if they knew the dangers of asbestos.
First up we spoke to Ciaran (age:25):
What do you think about when we say Asbestos?
“To be honest I don’t really know a whole lot about it but I think it’s something you find in old buildings or something like that? I’m not sure”
Have you heard of the dangers of asbestos or does mesothelioma mean anything to you?
“Ahh I have heard about that, that’s a type of cancer isn’t it. I have read about that in the newspaper.”
Who do you think is at risk from Asbestos?
“Builders? Or anybody in construction?”
We then asked Jennifer (32) the same questions to find out what she knew.
What do you think about when we say asbestos?
“I know it is a building material that was a very common and popular in the past. I don’t think it is still used because they have found out it is very harmful.”
Have you heard about the dangers of asbestos or does mesothelioma mean anything to you?
“I have heard a little bit about the asbestos fibres that can be in the air at construction sites especially if they are demolishing an old building that might have had asbestos in.”
Who do you think is at risk from Asbestos?
“Demolition workers? I guess when people are working in that industry they can be at risk to the fibres in the air.”
Lastly, we asked Sam (19) what answers he had for us.
What do you think about when we say Asbestos?
“I know a little bit about it because we had some in our house when we first moved in and my mum freaked out. We had to get some professionals in and have it removed. Apparently it’s very harmful.”
Have you heard about the dangers of asbestos or does mesothelioma mean anything to you?
“I only know what I heard my mum talking with the guys who removed the asbestos, they told us that if the fibres get into your lungs it can cause cancer.”
Who do you think is at risk from Asbestos?
“From the situation, I was in I have learnt that anybody could be at risk and should seriously think about having their homes and workplaces checked for asbestos by professionals. It’s better to be safe than sorry.”
So what have we found out from the questions we asked these guys?
Well, we found out that nobody knew that Asbestos is actually illegal now and has been since 1992. Luckily when mentioning asbestos it does bring up negative connotations so people out there do know that it is very harmful. Mesothelioma, while not the most well-known form of cancer it is one that has been covered in the press and, therefore, was well known by the guys we asked.
What did we want to achieve?
We wanted to make sure that people know how harmful asbestos is and that if they come into contact with it know they must call a professional immediately. We deal with asbestos on a day to day basis and know exactly how to remove and dispose of it safely. There is nothing more dangerous than dealing with asbestos without the proper protection because the effects of mesothelioma may not be immediate but you could face the consequences later in life.