In Kenya Asbestos has been classified as hazardous waste under the EMCA 2015 [Waste Management Regulations 2006] and the Occupational Safety and Health Act, No. 15 of 2007. Asbestos has been listed as a hazardous substance and therefore these rules apply to all workplaces where asbestos is present. Most of facilities which were built in 1960s and 1980s have Asbestos roofing materials.

 

These roofing materials have deteriorated over time necessitating their removal, disposal and replacement with environmentally safe materials.

Several buildings have asbestos which was used in thermal system insulation and many other materials. Asbestos is sometimes inside places where you would have difficulty gaining access to, for example, technical ducts and false ceilings. Asbestos particles made asphalt-based roofing durable and long-lasting. Asbestos wouldn’t rot, rust, conduct electricity nor react to heat. And asbestos was easy to work with, widely sourced and low-cost to purchase.

There are certain major health effects that are faced by the residents of the building. Asbestosis is a lungs disease, it is not cancer but it stays for a longer period of time and is progressive. Lung cancer causes the air passage in to the lungs to be blocked and invaded by the tumor.

The asbestos fragments in the air can induce lung cancer in to a person and it can have an increased effect on the person because of smoking. Mesothelioma, it is a rare cancer which affects the lining of lings or the abdominal contents. This type of cancer is caused by the exposure of asbestos. Gastrointestinal and Colorectal Cancers- the researchers have conducted studies on asbestos exposure and have concluded that its exposure can induce cancers like, gastrointestinal cancer (dealing with stomach and esophagus) and colorectal cancer (affecting the colon and rectums).