For a long time, asbestos was considered to be the perfect substance to be used in material and equipment. It is resistant to fire and heat, along with being incredibly durable and a poor conductor of electricity. It was just about everywhere in the US. It is still used in the present day, but only in limited applications. These current applications include brakes in vehicles, products for roofing, and filtering chemicals. Initially, it was thought that people could only get an asbestos-related disease that could occur when you worked closely with the mineral. The reality is that exposure can happen to anyone anywhere that works with asbestos in any way. What is even worse is that anyone that works with asbestos could risk exposure for themselves and their family. They can bring it home to their families on their clothes. Eventually, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) began regulating asbestos.
The number one cause of mesothelioma cancer is exposure to occupational asbestos. Repeated exposure to it puts workers at risk of several different cancers and pulmonary diseases that are often serious. Throughout most of the 20th century, asbestos was used in household and commercial products, as well as construction. These products include bricks, pipes, insulation, drywall, and flooring. It is also found in rubber, mattresses, lawn furniture, flowerpots, and electrical appliances. If you work with any of these products, you are putting your health at risk.
Asbestos is still a toxic danger to workers and the cause of most occupational cancers. There are about 125 million people that are still exposed to asbestos per year. There are more than 100,000 workers dying every year from an asbestos-related disease.
There is a high amount of risk of coming into contact with asbestos in the following industries and jobs:
- Shipbuilding
- Ship repair
- Manufacturing
- Firefighters
- Construction
- Asphalt
- Coal mines
- Chemical industry
- Power generation
There are jobs that are known to have heavy exposure to asbestos. They include:
- Milling asbestos
- Mining asbestos
- Manufacturing asbestos textile
- Painters
- Fiber cement plants
- Carriers of asbestos materials
If you believe you have been exposed to asbestos, you should consider talking to a mesothelioma lawyer to determine what options you have. You want to make sure you talk to the experts in their field, including physicians and specialists. Talking to experts will give you the best chance at having the best outcome possible in your current situation.
