Asbestos safety has long become a controversial topic. There are those who believe in the construction qualities, fire resistance, strength and durability of asbestos, and those who believe it is a toxic killer, silently threatening the lives of countless people ignorant to its presence. Can both be true?

Asbestos does cause diseases, most notably mesothelioma, a rare cancer of the respiratory symptom. However, asbestos can boast of its ‘better’ qualities; it was so heavily relied upon through American history it gained the nickname ‘backbone of American industry.’ In addition to the US, the UK, Japan and Australia specifically took asbestos use to a whole new level in the 1900s. In these countries today, asbestos can be found in everything from power plant insulation to residential floor tiles. However, cases of malignant mesothelioma can also be found.

Mesothelioma is characterized by a latency period ranging from twenty to fifty years; what started as a revolution in industry wouldn’t show its other face for decades. When health concerns became associated with asbestos results proved a direct connection between asbestos fibers and mesothelioma. Asbestos was, and is, causing cancer. Once inhaled, asbestos fibers begin a cancerous development of tumors growing into malignant mesothelioma. Sadly, due to long latency periods and symptoms that mimic those of pneumonia or bronchitis, mesothelioma is often misdiagnosed. Following a proper diagnosis, mesothelioma life expectancy is short and grim. There are mesothelioma treatments available, but here is no cure.

Another common thread between the US, the UK, Japan and Australia is a love for the water. Naval ships, private yachts, houseboats, fishing trollers, sailboats—you name it—these countries, and countless more, have built them, bought them, used them and enjoyed them for centuries past. The last century, however, introduced asbestos to shipbuilding and there has been no end to its use in ship and boat components. Although bulkheads and hulls of newer model vessels may not be built with asbestos in every country, asbestos can still be found in older boats and ships as well as in components common to a variety of vessels.

Engine compartment insulation, plumping works, valve packs and pump insulation are just some items known to contain asbestos. Even minor repair, maintenance or replacement of these items on a boat or ship could result in asbestos exposure. Relatively safe when contained in another material, asbestos poses a major health concern when its fibers become airborne. Additionally, in the confines of a yacht, sailboat or other vessel, the fibers have nowhere to go, which heightens chances of human inhalation.

Asbestos health threats are so great that government agencies around the globe have regulated asbestos use and handling. In many countries, special training and licensure is required for anyone working with or around asbestos, and these individuals are held to high safety standards. Knowing what asbestos can do, good and bad, is part of a safe education for boating enthusiasts and the general public alike.

Minimum safety precautions for handling anything that could be asbestos include wearing a respirator, keeping possible asbestos materials intact and soaking them with water; vacuuming the work area, removing and washing clothes, and bathing immediately after work is done. Asbestos fibers travel best when dry and airborne. They can easily be transferred from place to place or person to person if consistent precautions are not taken.  If there is any doubt about the nature of an item or material in question, do not hesitate to call in an expert.

The World Health Organization expects mesothelioma cases, and other asbestos-related diseases, to rise in number until asbestos use is completely stopped around the world. There is much to be said for asbestos and the part it has played in building many great industrial nations of the world and adding to our enjoyment of life or work on the water. Like other things, though, the cost is often not felt until much later, when it is too late.

Lydia Miller, New Leaf Copywriting