Home asbestos testing kits help protect lungs

Occupational hygienist Doug Wylie says many people aren't aware that their homes contain asbestos.

Resources to help protect yourself and your family from asbestos were available across Winnipeg on Saturday.

Winnipeg Air Testing set up at shopping centres across the city to give out the kits.

"Well, a lot of people know that asbestos causes health affects in people, but what they don't know is that many homes contain asbestos," said occupational hygienist Doug Wylie.

Asbestos is often found around pipe insulation, old boilers, floor and ceiling tiling. The kit offered, at a discount, allows people to test if asbestos is present before doing renovations.

"I wanted to test some tile in my 1950 bungalow home and the plaster to see if the asbestos," said one person who came to check out the kits.

Money raised from the testing goes to the Manitoba Lung Association.