Hurricane Sandy: How to Protect Yourself from Toxic Asbestos Debris
In the wake of Hurricane Sandy, the Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization (ADAO) urges you to follow EPA and OSHA guidelines and regulations in order to protect public health. Please share this message with family and friends on the East Coast.
- The collateral damage for Hurricane Sandy won’t be tallied for decades. There is a great deal of chatter on the news about construction scams, but nothing was being said about the toxic risk of asbestos until the Huffington Post published “Asbestos May Pose Health Hazards In Hurricane Sandy’s Wake.” An estimated 2,600 tons of hazardous asbestos debris was removed after the Joplin, Missouri tornado in 2011. We can expect much more from a storm as large as Hurricane Sandy.
What is asbestos? Where is asbestos found? What do I do about it? Who do I contact? Asbestos is a known carcinogen with no safe level of exposure. In an ongoing effort to prevent asbestos exposure and eliminate asbestos-caused disease, ADAO created a new PowerPoint, “Preventing Hazardous Asbestos Debris Exposure,” to answer these important questions. ~ Linda Reinstein, Co-Founder of ADAO
FOUR STEPS TO TAKE TO PREVENT ASBESTOS EXPOSURE:
IDENTIFY: Learn where asbestos is in your home
DON’T TOUCH. Asbestos-containing materials may release fibers when they are disturbed, damaged, removed improperly, repaired, cut, torn, sanded, sawed, drilled or scraped.
TEST: Confirm presence or absence of asbestos.
REPAIR/REMOVE: If tests confirm asbestos, repair and remove the asbestos-containing materials by trained and accredited asbestos professionals
Huffington Post Article: Asbestos May Pose Health Hazards in Sandy's Wake
Asbestos May Pose Health Hazards In Sandy's WakeAmong the wreckage removed in Joplin, Mo., after the 2011 tornado was 2,600 tons of asbestos debris. "That was a small community," said L...U.S. Surgeon General Statement: "I urge every American to become aware of the public health issues of asbestos exposure and the steps they can take to protect their health."
2009 Statement from Acting Surgeon General Steven K. Galson about National Asbestos Week | Asbestos and Mesothelioma World News
Statement from Acting Surgeon General Steven K.Hurricane Sandy: Keeping Safe
What Is Asbestos?
Where Is Asbestos?
What Do I Do?
Who Do I Call?
Additional Resources
To view the complete PowerPoint, click below:
