Officials say not to worry about plastic sheeting and bilingual caution signs posted at the Palm Springs courthouse. The precautions – including the signs reading “Danger, asbestos, cancer and lung disease hazard” – are there to protect people during the ongoing remodel of courtrooms, judges’ chambers and jury deliberation rooms at the courthouse. Steven Hinde, a certified asbestos consultant, suggests that if the county employs a certified asbestos company that uses approved containment methods, such as physical barriers and a negative air machine, there should be no threat to the health of workers and visitors in the building. Asbestos is hazardous when it is removed or disturbed if it becomes airborne. When airborne asbestos fibers are trapped in the lungs, asbestosis, lung cancer, or mesothelioma may result. Such diseases may not develop until decades after exposure. Riverside County officials emphasize that they are following every requirement to inform the public of the presence of asbestos during the remodel.
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