>>15670871guys doing demolition work didn't used to wear masks because doing so was seen as 'weak' and nobody wants to be the pussy on the job site.
hacking up dusty phlegm was just part of the job and a mark of pride of someone having done a days work.
but then people started getting extreme lung cancers i.e. mesothelioma way sooner and way more often.
they realized it was the asbestos so they made efforts to minimize it and eventually ban it.
honestly, most of the controls are overkill. you just need to wear a mask and ventilate properly when doing demo otherwise over the long term it will be bad for you.
but people treat it like it's some kind of fast acting poison that will kill everyone in a 10 mile radius if a single flake of asbestos is in the vicinity.
mainly the reason for this is that lucrative 'asbestos removal services' have sprung up. and they cost a lot of money, and they are now required to be used by law if any asbestos is present.
all they do is wear tyvex body suits and masks and spray everything with water before doing the demolition.
this lowers the dust levels a bit and that's all you really need to do to avoid mesothelioma if you are a career demo guy.
not to mention all the lucrative class action law suits.
