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Acoustical Panels
People who are interested in sound proofing a room and creating an environment with great acoustics will often have special panels installed to achieve this affect. These panels are adhered directly on to the walls, and once in place they will help absorb echoes and high sound levels, provide great internal acoustics and keep the noise levels from escaping the room. This made them very popular at any location where people wanted to produce a lot of noise without disturbing neighbors or fellow employees. They were used in spaces where bands or orchestras rehearsed, lectures would be given and other locations where the audio levels needed to be superior, and yet contained internally.
Acoustical panels were also common in churches and schools where they helped provide an enhanced audio experience for a group of people trying to listen to an individual speaker. The panels were extremely beneficial, with one glaring problem: for years they were made out of asbestos. It is true that the asbestos helped to build a better, more solid panel that could endure a large degree of heat or cold, but it also provided a serious health hazard. Anytime the panels are moved around or start to crumble apart, they become likely to release small fibers of asbestos into the atmosphere which in turn allows anyone nearby to unknowingly breathe in this highly poisonous material.
People who do come into contact with asbestos are subjected to developing respiratory problems and forms of cancer like Mesothelioma. As these can be deadly, this is an extremely serious issue. Acoustical panels were installed in thousands of locations, so there is no way to tell how many people may have been affected by them. Everyone from the workers who put the panels in place to the people who were simply seated in rooms that contained them may have been exposed.
Following the discovery that asbestos was dangerous, and even a potential killer, acoustical panels that contained the material were taken down and disposed of. This process must only be done by certified professionals who know how to handle asbestos properly and ensure that it is not spread to others. There are, however, still an unknown number of locations that have these potentially dangerous panels in place, and they can be an ongoing danger even now.
If you feel you may have been exposed to asbestos through contaminated acoustical panels, you may wonder what your options are. Contact us to find out how to receive a free brochure that explains what you should do if you have been subjected to this toxic substance.