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By Veronica Beltran

asbestos resulted in 47 deaths last year

“Asbestos is the number one killer,” WorkSafeBC warns homeowners about deadly fibres

Sep 24, 2019 | 12:47 PM

RICHMOND–WorkSafeBC is reminding homeowners about the dangers of asbestos in homes built before the 1990’s.

Asbestos if disturbed, can release easy to inhale fibres into the air, which can potentially lead to serious health problems, including lung disease and cancer. A release by WorkSafe BC says that the most common way to be exposed to the fibres is during unsafe practices during demolition and renovation of homes and buildings.

Asbestos can be found in more than 3,000 common building materials including: vinyl and linoleum flooring, stucco, loose-blown insulation, roof felt shingles, drywall mud, incandescent light fixture backings, and deck under-sheeting. “If you’re planning to renovate or demolish a home built before 1990, as a homeowner you need to talk to your contractor about planning for asbestos testing and proper removal,” said Al Johnson, Vice-President of Prevention Services for WorkSafeBC. “Identifying and safely removing asbestos is critical to ensuring the health and safety of everyone working on the project.”

WorkSafeBC says that asbestos exposure was the contributing factor in 47 work-related deaths in 2018, around 36 percent of work-related deaths in the year.

“Asbestos is the number one killer of workers in B.C. and we need to continue getting the message out to homeowners, contractors and the public about the health risks from asbestos exposure,” said Johnson.

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Asbestos is a naturally occurring fibrous material used in more than 3,000 building materials from the 1950’s to the 1990’s. For more information, homeowners can click here.