Articles

Industrial Fumes

February 24th, 2012  
In the US, the agency responsible for worker health and safety is OSHA, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. They set levels for worker exposure to fumes and the safety equipment needed. Once these fumes escape the facility, they become the responsibility of the Environmental Protection Agency. An air purifier system may be mandated, depending on the regulations in place. Commonly, the EPA will require a fume extractor to keep volatile chemicals out of the environment. Industrial fumes are those products of manufacturing which make it into the air, either inside the plant or outside. Some are generated by the manufacturing process itself, while others are a consequence of using highly concentrated chemicals during production. In industrial applications, chemicals are often Read more [...]

Asbestos

February 16th, 2012  
Asbestos is a mineral that occurs naturally. It is composed of silicon in glass-like threads. The properties that make it dangerous are also the properties that made it useful in construction and manufacturing. Primarily, asbestos fibers are inert. They will not naturally degrade from chemicals, sunlight or even high heat. This is also why they are so dangerous when inhaled. Because the human body cannot break down the fibers, they can accumulate in the lungs, causing irritation and eventual damage. Asbestosis and mesothelioma are two of the serious consequences of chronic exposure to asbestos. Asbestosis is a progressive lung disease caused by the physical damage and scarring that the sharp fibers can cause. Mesothelioma is a type of cancerous tumor that is triggered by exposure to asbestos. Read more [...]

Asbestos

January 4th, 2012  
Anyone born in the late 19th century or even the early 20th century can attest that asbestos was a once excellent component for building use due to having a high resistance to fire, ability to absorb sounds, having great tensile strength and being chemical damage-retardant.  Now that time and building products have advanced - along with breakthroughs in cancer research - people are truly finding out the harms that asbestos can do if exposed for prolonged periods of time.  Knowing what breathing asbestos-filled air is scary enough yet pales in comparison to the fear of not knowing your home has asbestos within the walls and you've been living with it for years. Johns Company, which is present-day Johns Manville, was one of the early manufacturers of this material.  Fibrous anthophyllite Read more [...]