아래 내용은 미국 MesotheliomaGuide의 8월 24일의 기사입니다.
세계소방관협회(The International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF))는 미국 상하원의 석면사용금지 법안을 지원하는 움직임에 대해 지지하는 성명을 발표함.
소방관은 진화 과정에서 노출된 공기 중 석면으로 일반인보다 200배 높은 석면질환에 노출되어 있음.
일반적으로 1980년대 이전 건축물(주택, 창고, 공장 등)에는 석면 자재가 빈번하게 사용되었는데, 화재가 발생하면 바닥재, 천장재, 지붕 타일 등이 손상되어 공기 중으로 석면이 비산되고 소방관에게 노출된다.
현재 70개국 이상이 석면사용과 수입수출을 금지하고 있으나 미국은 그렇지 않고 있으며 EPA는 석면사용 제한 등을 점차 강화하고 있는 추세이다. 미국의 주요 석면 사용처는 chlor-alkali industry이다.
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Arguably the most influential firefighters associations announced its support for an asbestos ban in the United States.
The International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) expressed the need for a ban by supporting the Alan Reinstein Ban Asbestos Now Act, which is legislature proposed to both the U.S. Senate and U.S. House of Representatives. This legislature has been considered by both branches of U.S. Congress for several years.
IAFF announced its support in a press release on the organization’s website. Asbestos is a carcinogen capable of causing a rare cancer called mesothelioma, along with lung cancer, ovarian cancer and more. Firefighters are one of the at-risk occupations for asbestos exposure and have a heightened risk of developing asbestos diseases.
“Firefighters are regularly exposed to airborne asbestos fibers as they respond to fires and other hazardous situations, making them 200 times more likely to develop related illnesses than the general public,” said Greg Russell, the IAFF Governmental Affairs Representative. “Occupational cancers have become the leading cause of death among firefighters, and as a response, this union is fully committed to addressing this life-threatening issue head-on.”
IAFF represents more than 339,000 professional firefighters and paramedics in the U.S. and Canada. The association is an advocacy group for firefighters and a lobbying organization to advance benefits for its members.
How Firefighters Are Exposed to Asbestos
Firefighters are at risk of asbestos exposure from responding to fires in old buildings, such as warehouses, plants and more. If these buildings were constructed prior to the 1980s, then they likely contain asbestos as an insulant. Asbestos was a popular insulant material during the 20th century up until the 1980s.
Asbestos is not dangerous when intact, but fires can disturb asbestos and damage the floor tiles, ceiling tiles, joint compounds and roof tiles. This damage can release asbestos fibers into the air. As firefighters respond to fires, they can inhale or swallow these loose fibers.
Asbestos could be found near or in:
Roofing and siding
Electrical wiring, switches and panels
Insulation in walls and ceilings
Drywall joint compound
Floor and ceiling tiles
Caulking
Paint
Another source of asbestos exposure for firefighters was the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Hundreds of tons of asbestos were used to build one of the World Trade Center towers. When the towers fell, asbestos was disturbed and released into the Manhattan air.
Pushing for a Ban on Asbestos
More than 70 countries have banned asbestos, but the United States is not one of them. The U.S. has heavy regulations on the use of asbestos, and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is taking steps to tighten those regulations even further.
The Alan Reinstein Ban Asbestos Now Act would immediately ban the import, use, and sale of asbestos and require industries to transition away from asbestos within a certain amount of time. The majority of asbestos imported into the U.S. is for the chlor-alkali industry.
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IAFF Firefighters Association Asks for Asbestos Ban
