It's Global Asbestos Awareness Week. To mark the occasion, from April 1-7 entities across the world and within Saskatchewan are raising awareness of the dangers of asbestos in the workplace.
"Work related asbestos diseases can be prevented if you are aware of where it is located in a building and how to properly handle it to avoid exposure to its fibers," Labour Relations and Workplace Safety Minister Jim Reiter said in an official statement.
The naturally occurring fibrous material was used regularly in many applications for thousands of years, most notably as a common material in buildings until the late 1990's. The dangers of asbestos come when it is disturbed and rendered airborne. Tiny asbestos fibres drift through the air and if inhaled, become embedded in lung tissue gradually accumulating and causing serious health problems.
Funding to the tune of $230,000 was allocated in the 2024-25 Provincial Budget to replace the existing asbestos registry, ensuring that workers are aware of risks and can be protected while doing repairs or renovations to public buildings known to contain asbestos. The updated registry was launched in February of this year.
As of December 31, 2024, more than 5,200 facilities have been registered in the searchable online tool, which can be accessed by clicking here.