MESOTHELIOMA DANGER
OSHA charges upstate New York contractor with 10 workplace asbestos violations

Buffalo, New York-based company fined $50,000 for asbestos infringements that could lead to mesothelioma cancer in on-site workers. OSHA gives contractor 15 days to reply.

The attorneys at the personal injury law firm of Weitz & Luxenberg have decades of experience obtaning large jury awards in practice areas that include: accidents/general injury, dangerous drugs, medical malpractice, and environmental pollutants.

News Bulletin

November 20, 2009 - The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has fined an upstate New York company $50,000 after learning it violated regulations concerning the evaluation of asbestos contamination and the removal of asbestos-containing materials.

OSHA charged Superior General Contracting, based in the Buffalo, N.Y., suburb of Cheektowaga, with 10 serious workplace health violations identified at a job site where asbestos-containing pipe insulation was being removed as part of a remodeling project.

Federal law requires that companies performing demolition or remodeling work follow certain procedures when asbestos is present. Procedures include determining exposure levels, wetting any removed asbestos debris, proper disposal of asbestos materials, and providing workers with respirators and protective clothing.

Onsite workers must also be trained in asbestos remediation and be properly supervised. OSHA claims that Superior General Contracting did not fulfill any of these requirements.

Superior General Contracting was given 15 days to contest the findings, comply with payment of the fine, or request a conference with the area director of OSHA.

Throughout the 20th century, asbestos was widely used in construction and industrial applications, as well as in hundreds of consumer products.

When asbestos containing materials are disturbed or broken, microscopic asbestos fibers become airborne and can be inhaled by workers, leading to the development of several devastating respiratory diseases, including lung cancer, asbestosis and mesothelioma.

There is currently no cure for mesothelioma, although treatments can be given in order to help stop the spread of the cancer and alleviate its symptoms.

Some of the symptoms of mesothelioma include coughing, chest pain, weakness or fatigue, and difficulty breathing. The most common form of mesothelioma is malignant pleural mesothelioma, but the cancer can also affect the heart and stomach.

Seek compensation for your workplace asbestos illness

Weitz & Luxenberg has protected the legal rights of asbestos-injured workers since 1986. And in that time the firm's mesothelioma lawyers have won several billion dollars in verdicts and settlements for clients injured by occupational asbestos exposure.

Please know, the firm works on a contingency basis so there is no cost to you until we obtain a verdict or reach a settlement in your favor.