In 2010, an estimated 600-900 people died of work-related diseases in New Zealand. Of that number, around 170 people died of asbestos-related diseases, which made asbestos the single biggest cause of work-related disease deaths.
Breathing in airborne asbestos fibres is a serious risk to health. Once the fibres are breathed in, they lodge in the lungs and may cause diseases like asbestosis, lung cancer and mesothelioma.
Based on studies so far, asbestos is not harmful to unborn children.
Most asbestos-related diseases take around 20 years before their symptoms start to show. The health risks increase when:
people inhale more fibres
exposure is more frequent
exposure occurs over a long period of time.
All types of asbestos can cause asbestos-related disease.
Don’t expose yourself to the danger of asbestos. If you think you have asbestos in your home, contact us to come and assess your site today. .