The Environmental Protection Agency has released a set of suggestions to help workers in the automobile repair industry lower their risk of
Asbestos exposure from brake dust and other sources encountered during the repair and maintenance of brake and clutch parts. These suggestions may help prevent
illnesses from Asbestos exposure. While not all brake and clutch parts available on the market today contain Asbestos, there are enough of these parts still in circulation to warrant vigilance on the part of the people who work with or around them. This is especially true since one cannot identify, with the naked eye, whether or not brake or clutch parts contain Asbestos. And furthermore, while automobile manufactures and dealerships may prove of some assistance in identifying if a newer vehicle contains parts that were manufactured with Asbestos, older vehicles with replacement parts, make such identification difficult.
As a means of protecting people who work around brake and clutch parts from Asbestos in brake dust and other parts, the EPA recommends: 1).The Negative-Pressure Enclosure/HEPA Vacuum System Method. This is a box that fits snuggly around brake or clutch parts and contains a vacuum system to prevent Asbestos dust exposure. 2). The Low Pressure/Wet Cleaning Method. This uses a specially designed low-pressure spray to wet the brake assembly so as to cut down on Asbestos brake dust.
To visit the EPA website to learn more about how to lower the risks of Asbestos exposure from Asbestos dust while doing brake and auto repairs, please click on the following link:
http://www.epa.gov/Asbestos/pubs/goldbooktext.html
Asbestos is the only known cause of mesothelioma, fatal cancer that occurs primarily in the lining of the lungs and the abdomen.
Illnesses from Asbestos exposure, such as mesothelioma, typically occur at least fifteen years after an individuals first exposure to Asbestos. Asbestos can cause mesothelioma even when the exposure to Asbestos occurs for a short duration. Asbestos fibers, such as the
Asbestos in brake dust, are microscopic and exposure can occur without a worker even knowing it. Asbestos exposure can occur not only with direct contact to Asbestos products but also in bystanders and family members exposed to Asbestos dust. Mesothelioma prevention is of the utmost importance.
Asbestos in brake dust and other auto parts should be a concern to the industry as there are many illnesses attributed to Asbestos exposure. Fortunately, the attorneys at LPK have prosecuted
mesothelioma lawsuits on behalf of mesothelioma victims in New York and New Jersey for more than twenty-five years.
