Cayman Islands officials train workers to recognize and deal with asbestos hazards
The Department of Environmental Heath (DEH) in the Cayman Islands held a three-day training seminar on detection and remediation of asbestos and lead. The Public Health Department was a co-sponsor of the seminar, and the Pan American Health Organization contributed partial funding. The seminar was facilitated by experts from the United States: Dr Janvier Gasana, associate professor of environmental and occupational health at Florida International University, and Armando Chamorro, certified industrial hygienist and president of CIH Environmental Solutions, Inc. Participants learned that asbestos was widely used because of its thermal and acoustical insulation properties, along with its resistance to fire and corrosives, but that its use has created extreme public health risks because asbestos exposure causes serious diseases, including lung cancer, mesothelioma, and asbestosis. DEH Director Roydell Carter explained that the goal of the seminar was to give department staff the information and training they need “to better protect the residents of the Cayman Islands from these potentially deadly and highly toxic substances.”
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