Preventing Mesothelioma

The first step in preventing a disease is to understand its causes—the organism or substance that is involved and what it does to the body. Implementing measures to prevent or limit the disease’s occurrence is only possible after a cause is known. For more than 50 years, it has been well known that asbestos exposure causes mesothelioma. Over time, several strategies have been devised to prevent mesothelioma by regulating asbestos use.

Long latency means cases appear years after exposure

Unfortunately, because mesothelioma can take decades to develop after asbestos exposure, for many people these strategies come too late. They were exposed years before asbestos regulations were in place. Consequently, health officials expect there will be new cases of mesothelioma diagnosed for years to come. That does not mean that regulations are futile in mesothelioma prevention, but only that it will take a long time for the results to become evident through declining occurrences of the disease.

Workplace asbestos regulations

Since most of the asbestos exposure linked to mesothelioma occurs in or near the workplace, the Occupational and Safety Health Administration (OSHA) regulates asbestos use and exposure. Workplace asbestos regulations require:

• Permissible exposure levels for asbestos in the workplace that are limited to:
  • 0.1 fiber/cubic centimeter of air averaged over an 8-hour work shift
  • Less than one asbestos fiber/cubic centimeter in a 30-minute period
• An initial exposure assessment of exposure expected in the work operation
• Periodic exposure monitoring
• Use of engineering controls to reduce exposures to the lowest level possible
• Respiratory protection supplied and maintained by employer
• Use of regulated areas to limit access to locations where asbestos concentrations may be dangerously high
• No smoking, eating, or drinking in the asbestos-regulated areas
• Protective clothing where appropriate
• Warning signs and caution labels indicating hazardous materials are present
• Detailed record keeping
• Medical surveillance of exposed workers

Home mesothelioma prevention measures

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) cautions people with asbestos in their homes about its dangers. The EPA recommends these steps to limit asbestos exposure and prevent or limit mesothelioma:

• Regularly inspect asbestos-containing materials (such as roof shingles and insulation) to ensure they did not deteriorate and release loose asbestos
• Do not disturb or remove asbestos yourself. Hire an asbestos removal professional

Do not vacuum, sweep, drill, scrape, or sand surfaces that may contain asbestos