Province promotes asbestos awareness
Is there asbestos in your home or workplace?
That’s the question the Saskatchewan government is hoping every citizen will be able to answer by the end of the week, which has been designated Asbestos Awareness Week throughout the province.
Asbestos is the generic name for several naturally-occurring minerals which were widely used in construction between the 1950s and 1990s before the associated health concerns were fully known. The fibrous minerals are largely harmless when contained within another structure, but when they are disturbed the fibres can become airborne and, when inhaled, cause serious illness or death.
Jennifer May, vice-president of health promotion at the Lung Association of Saskatchewan, said asbestos can cause several forms of cancer when people are exposed to airborne fibres.