Asbestos Found in Electrical Panel Partitions

Asbestos is a very good electrical insulator; so it was only natural that it be used in making electrical panel partitions and other electrical parts. Particularly during and after World War II, asbestos was hailed as the miracle product, and swept the nation finding application in all industries, including construction, shipyards, power plants, home accessories and so many others. This was a trend for much of the 20th century up until the ill effects of the material were made public, and EPA banned use of asbestos in the interest of public health.

Asbestos Exposure from Electrical Panels

In the late 90s, scientists and researchers proved beyond a doubt that asbestos exposure results in deadly diseases. Many persons were diagnosed with mesothelioma and lung cancer as a result of the professional hazard of working in an industry that includes use of asbestos. Symptoms of mesothelioma surface some 20 to 50 years after the initial exposure. This is a particularly deadly form of cancer for several reasons, the most important being that there is currently no cure for the disease. In addition, the symptoms of mesothelioma cancer are non-specific in the early stages, and can resemble symptoms of much less serious viral infections. For this reason, it is generally diagnosed in the last stages and only palliative care can be offered.

Electrical Panels Containing Asbestos Fibers

The tragic part of this fatal disease is that it was entirely avoidable. The harmful effects of asbestos were first discovered as early as 1930s but vested interests ensured that the matter did not become public, and a very large part of the unknowing public continued to work in asbestos-related industries. Most people lived in homes that contained asbestos in one form or the other. A blanket ban on use of asbestos was imposed in the U.S. in 1977 by the Consumer Product Safety Commission.

Just because no symptoms of the disease have surfaced so far does not guarantee safety. You may still be at risk of exposure to asbestos. It is totally unpredictable where you may have been exposed to asbestos containing material during your life. Many schools, factories and commercial campuses built in the 1970s or 80s contain asbestos in one form or the other. The danger grows when any of these materials deteriorate owing to traffic, renovation, removal, or simply wear with age. The friable nature of asbestos makes the fibers airborne and exposure and aspiration of these asbestos fibers could lead to severe, life-threatening illnesses, such as lung cancer or mesothelioma.