Cleveland State University Closes Top Floor of Campus Building: Two Year Closure Needed for Asbestos Abatement and Removal
Roof repair project causes asbestos-containing debris to contaminate the top floor of the Rhodes Tower building on the Cleveland State campus. Exposure to the cancer-causing mineral is known to cause serious diseases such as mesothelioma, asbestos lung cancer or asbestosis to develop many decades after exposure.
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In December 2009, officials for Cleveland State University announced that the top floor of Rhodes Tower would be closed for approximately two years while the building undergoes asbestos abatement and removal.
Asbestos-containing materials and debris were dislodged in September 2009 while weatherproofing and other work was being done on the building’s roof. The project caused asbestos-containing ceiling tiles to fall in offices and other workspaces on the building’s 19th Floor.
Professors, Other Staff on Contaminated Floor May Have Been Exposed to Asbestos
When the asbestos exposure problem occured at the Rhodes Tower, the University quickly took action to evacuate those working on the 19th floor and relocate them to offices in other areas of the building. The floor was sealed, and no one is permitted in the area until asbestos abatement has been completed. Because books and other materials on the floor may be contaminated by asbestos, faculty and staff were not permitted to move those items into their relocated work areas.
The University sent certified letters to six employees recommending they be tested for exposure to the dangerous mineral; however, news reports indicate that other University employees who worked in the area were not similarly advised.
Asbestos Exposure Means Lifelong Risk of Illness for Those Exposed
Even though the professors and other personnel working in the Rhodes Tower building were at limited risk for exposure to asbestos, studies have shown that even those with brief exposure to the dangerous carcinogen remain at risk to develop an asbestos disease.
The latency period (the time between exposure and when symptoms of disease are first noticed) for asbestos disease is 30-40 or more years long. This decades-long latency period means that students and staff now in their 20s face a lifelong risk to develop serious and debilitating lung diseases many years later.
Medical experts recommend that those who faced limited exposure to asbestos be tested so that their medical records can document that first exposure. As these individuals grow older, their healthcare teams can continue to monitor their health for any early signs of asbestos disease.
How Weitz & Luxenberg Can Help
If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with an asbestos-related disease, we may be able to help you to seek justice for your illness and file a lawsuit on your behalf.
Please complete the form on this page for a free and confidential review of your potential asbestos lawsuit or request a free copy of our asbestos sourcebook. A Weitz & Luxenberg representative will contact you as soon as possible.
Those in the Cleveland, OH area can get a free asbestos lawsuit review