Envirosafe Training and Consultants, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
BMC Public Health. 2012 Aug 16;12:665. doi: 10.1186/1471-2458-12-665.
The current literature reports increased infectious disease occurrence in various construction occupations, as an important contributor to morbidity and mortality arising from employment.These observations should be expanded to asbestos abatement workers, as the abatement can create an environment favorable for bacterial, viral and fungal infections.
Asbestos abatement work employs activities resulting in cuts, blisters and abrasions to the skin, work in a dirty environment and exposure to dust, mists and fumes.Furthermore, this population exhibits a high smoking rate which increases the risk of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and respiratory infections.In addition, these workers also commonly employ respirators, which can accumulate dirt and debris magnifying exposure to microbes. Use of respirators and related types of personal protective equipment, especially if shared and in the close environment experienced by workers, may enhance communicability of these agents, including viruses.
Abatement workers need to be provided with information on hazards and targeted by appropriate health education to reduce the infection risk. Epidemiological studies to investigate this risk in asbestos removers are recommended.
目前的文献报告表明，各种建筑职业的传染病发病率上升，这是导致就业相关发病率和死亡率的一个重要因素。这些观察结果也应扩展到石棉拆除工人，因为拆除工作会创造出有利于细菌、病毒和真菌感染的环境。
石棉拆除工作会导致皮肤出现割伤、水疱和擦伤，工作环境肮脏，并且会接触灰尘、雾气和烟雾。此外，这部分人群的吸烟率很高，这增加了患慢性阻塞性肺疾病和呼吸道感染的风险。此外，这些工人通常还会使用呼吸器，这会使污垢和碎片积聚，从而放大对微生物的暴露。呼吸器和相关类型的个人防护设备的使用，尤其是在工人所处的封闭环境中，如果共享和使用，可能会增强这些病原体（包括病毒）的传染性。
需要向石棉拆除工人提供有关危害的信息，并通过适当的健康教育来降低感染风险。建议进行流行病学研究，以调查这些去除石棉工人的感染风险。
