Asbestos Occupational Danger

In detailed interviews in industrialized countries, 20% to 40% of adult men report some past occupations and jobs that may have entailed asbestos exposure at work (International Expert Meeting on Asbestos, Asbestosis, and Cancer 1997).

An estimated 27 million workers in the United States were exposed to aerosolized asbestos fibers between 1940 and 1979. Over 30 million tons of asbestos have been mined, processed, and applied in the United States since the early 1900s (Kamp and Weitzman 1999).

In industrialized countries, about 10,000 mesotheliomas and 20,000 asbestos-induced lung cancers are estimated to occur annually in a population of about 800 million people (International Expert Meeting on Asbestos, Asbestosis, and Cancer 1997).

Jobs related to the following products could be at risk:

• Boilers and heating vessels
• Cement pipe
• Clutch, brake, and transmission components
• Conduits for electrical wire
• Corrosive chemical containers
• Electric motor components
• Heat-protective pads
• Laboratory furniture
• Paper products
• Pipe covering
• Roofing products
• Sealants and coatings
• Textiles (including curtains).

Homes and Buildings:

• Duct and home insulation
• Fire protection panels
• Fireplace artificial logs or ashes
• Furnace insulating pads
• Fuse box liners
• Heater register tape and insulation
• Joint compounds
• Patching plaster
• Pipe or boiler insulation
• Sheet vinyl or floor tiles
• Shingles
• Textured acoustical ceiling
• Underlayment for sheet flooring.

Asbestos can also be a contaminant in other products such as vermiculite, which is used in gardens, landscape products; and home insulation; and talc, which is used in cosmetics.

Asbestos fibers can result from mining, milling, and weathering of asbestos-bearing rock, and from the manufacture, wear, and disposal of asbestos-containing products. Because of the widespread use of asbestos, its fibers are ubiquitous in the environment. Are you seeking information regarding asbestos occupational danger? If so, contact one of our asbestos lawyers in your area today!

Insulating materials produced before 1975 commonly contain asbestos. In industrialized countries, commercial use of asbestos peaked in the 1970s. Although bans and voluntary phaseouts have contributed to declining production of asbestos since the early 1970s, it is still used in construction materials-mostly asbestos-cement products. Building insulation materials manufactured since 1975 may no longer contain asbestos; however, products made or stockpiled before the ban remain in many homes. Vermiculite-contaminated asbestos was produced as late as 1990.

Indoor air can become contaminated with fibers released from building materials, especially if they are damaged or crumbling. Common sources of asbestos in homes are sprayed asbestos ("cottage cheese") ceilings, pipe insulation, boiler coverings, wallboard, and floor and ceiling tiles. Although it is important to repair damaged asbestos as soon as possible, homeowners should not undertake repair or removal of asbestos-containing materials without professional guidance or services.

Extended asbestos exposure can have long term and life threatening effects. If you or someone you know have been diagnosed with an asbestos related disease, you should seek legal help. Contact one of our Asbestos Lawyers in your area today. They have the knowledge and experience to help you win the compensation you deserve.