Australia Bushfires: Residents Advised to Be Wary of Health, Safety as They Reclaim Lives
For those whose homes and properties were spared from the raging and equally ravaging bushfires that continue to devour states in Australia, reclaiming normalcy in their lives after the fire may start off far better than most. But health experts see this is far from the case.
Residents as in the case of Tasmania, Australia's first bushfire catastrophe hit for 2013, are for sure already eager to return to their properties to check of what's left, if any, from them.
"We know from the Victorian experience with bushfires that there's like a second wave of potential injuries," Dr Roscoe Taylor, Director of Public Health Tasmania, told ABC News.
Long after the fires have been put out that residents need to brace themselves more for possible long-term health-related afflictions, such as exposure to asbestos fibres, Dr Taylor said.
A heat-resistant fibrous silicate mineral that can be woven into fabrics, used in fire-resistant and insulating materials, exposure to asbestos can cause serious diseases of the lungs and other organs that may not appear until years after the exposure has occurred.
"Asbestosis can cause a buildup of scar-like tissue in the lungs and result in loss of lung function that often progresses to disability and death. Asbestos fibers associated with these health risks are too small to be seen with the naked eye, and smokers are at higher risk of developing some asbestos-related diseases," according to a paper by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration of the U.S. Department of Labor.
Dr Taylor urged residents to clean with caution the areas where asbestos is present. "Make sure to wet down the area to stop the fibres from spreading in the air," he said.
Apart from exposure to asbestos, there's also a great chance to have a rundown with a distressed wildlife animal, such as snakes, which were displaced by the fires.
Dr Taylor advised residents to coordinate first with the local police if it is already safe to return to their properties to clean up, and in so doing, wear protective clothing as well as face masks. They should also not forget to bring bringing bottled drinking water, as water tanks could be potentially highly contaminated.
Residents may also go to their local Department of Public Health to avail of medical kits which protective masks to protect from dangerous fibres, gloves, overalls and garbage bags, among others.
"These kits are very generously being provided to us from the Victorian Health Department who had some left over from their bushfires," he said.
