If there is a known asbestos risk, personal protection equipment (PPE) can help to keep employees safe. For instance, this PPE is often used by employees who do home renovations, demolitions or other such projects. They know that they could be exposed to asbestos in some of these older homes, so they need to have the right equipment to keep them safe.
There are many different types of equipment that can be considered. Some remediation teams will wear coveralls and gloves, for example. But perhaps the most important thing to have is the correct facemask or respirator. It should cover both the nose and the mouth, and it needs to be properly rated for asbestos.
Dust masks won’t work
When looking into a mask or a respirator, it needs to be at least a P100 or N100 mask. This is a higher rating than the common N95 and indicates that the mask can stop smaller particles.
After all, one of the main dangers from asbestos is that the particles are microscopic. So those who are exposed will sometimes inhale dust, not even realizing that it contains asbestos. They can’t see it with the naked eye. They may think that a dust mask or neck gaiter keeps them from harm, but it will not be helpful against asbestos particles themselves.
Did you do everything right?
If you are a company owner, you may feel that you took every possible step to protect your employees. They had the right training. They had the right personal protection equipment. They had the correct masks.
But they may still claim that they were exposed to asbestos on the job and you could find yourself facing a lawsuit. This puts you in a very complicated situation, so be sure you understand all of the legal defense options that your company has.