Renovations over Spring break at Brykerwoods Elementary School in Austin, Texas may have exposed students to high levels of asbestos and lead. The renovations included sanding old paint—which probably contained lead—from the window frames and replacing glazing and caulking around the windows—which the principal says contained asbestos. When students returned from Spring break, dust still covered their desks. The Department of State Health Services has taken samples at the school, but the results are not yet available. A home lead test kit revealed lead in the dust. The Austin Independent School District says the school had air quality tests done before students returned from Spring break. The school district says a crew will be sent to clean the classrooms again.

The recent fire breakout in the premises of a building in Texas (click here for details of news) has caused the emittance of the well-known cancer causing compound-asbestos. Residents are instructed to stay away for the next six months.

This is alarming not just for them, but for the entire nation as the rate of diagnosis of mesothelioma rises.

Asbestos, known for causing a deadly form of cancer-mesothelioma which, if not diagnosed early, proves fatal. It is water as well as air borne and asbestos safety warnings are spreading through media as well as health organizations.

The discovery of the hazardous effects of asbestos in the 1960s caused uproar countrywide and litigations rose against companies who used asbestos-containing products. The heavy fines, however, could not compensate for the resultant numerous deaths, which continue to rise.

Presently, the awareness that the presence of asbestos resulting in mesothelioma cancer, is not only limited to miners and factory workers, but also exposed through household products, toys, building material and chemical products.

Countries such as the United States and the United Kingdom have imposed ban on the use of asbestos and citizens’ campaigning has risen to promote asbestos safety.

A major concern that has yet to be voiced is against one country that exports on a massive scale production range from toys to heavy duty machinery throughout the world and legal action could cost them heavily as well the large multinational corporations whose orders are placed with them.

The government, at its discretion, has taken precautionary measures by ordering companies whose products that have tested positive for asbestos after laboratory tests, to take their product off the market.

However, due to this discretion, companies continue to use asbestos and import them to places where the ban is yet to be imposed. The absence of a public message warning people against the use of asbestos containing products is of grave concern.

Advice on asbestos safety measures must be dealt with immediately before its too late!