What kind of asbestos insulation were you exposed to?

Concerned parents worry about asbestos insulation in their children's schools, but “intact, undisturbed asbestos-containing materials generally do not pose a health risk.” (http://www.epa.gov/asbestos/
pubs/asbestos_in_schools.html) For the most part, it is the people who worked with asbestos—the construction crews who built the schools—that were exposed through asbestos insulation. And asbestos insulation was not just in schools. It was everywhere.

The reason asbestos insulation was everywhere was because so many industries found it useful. Asbestos fibers are remarkably strong and resistant to heat, making them an ideal insulator for anything that could overheat: water pipes, gas pipes, electrical wiring, automobiles, planes, ships—anything with pipes, wires, and/or an engine. (http://www.epa.gov/asbestos/pubs/help.html)

Weitz & Luxenberg has seen far too many clients suffer from asbestos-related diseases because of their exposure to asbestos insulation and other asbestos containing materials (ACM) without proper warning and protection. It is is too late to reverse your asbestos exposure, but it is not too late to learn more about how you were exposed, and what your medical and legal options are

How many people were exposed to asbestos insulation?

“Since the early 1940s, as many as 10 million workers in the United States may have been exposed to asbestos. In 1972, reports estimated that 250,000 persons were at risk. By the 1980s, the number of active asbestos miners and millers had fallen to a few hundred.” --Dr. Basil Varkey. (http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/295966-overview#showall)   

Federal regulation prohibiting asbestos sprays in buildings and other previous asbestos insulation methods has greatly reduced Americans' overall risk of developing asbestosis, which is the scarring of the lungs due to long-term asbestos inhalation. Dr. Varkey warns that “those who have been previously exposed continue to be at risk for asbestosis and other asbestos-related diseases.” (emedicine)

The dangers of handling asbestos insulation shown in OSHA classification system

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) classifies jobs that involve asbestos exposure by level of risk: Class I is the most dangerous, Class II the second most dangerous, etc. OSHA uses this system to build standards for the industries that create these jobs, such as ship-building and construction.

When you read OSHA's classification system, you can see that working with asbestos insulation is the most dangerous kind of work in terms of asbestos exposure:

• Class I is the most potentially hazardous class of asbestos jobs and involves the removal of thermal system insulation [asbestos insulation] and sprayed-on or troweled-on surfacing asbestos-containing materials or presumed asbestos-containing materials.
• Class II includes the removal of other types of asbestos-containing materials that are not thermal system insulation, such as resilient flooring and roofing materials containing asbestos.
• Class III focuses on repair and maintenance operations where asbestos-containing or presumed asbestos-containing materials are disturbed.
• Class IV pertains to custodial activities where employees clean up asbestos-containing waste and debris.

(http://www.osha.gov/OshDoc/data_AsbestosFacts/asbestos-factsheet.pdf)

OSHA was created in 1970. (http://www.osha.gov/comp-links.html) If you worked in the construction, ship-building, or automotive industries—or any position that put you in direct contact with asbestos insulation—before the government began regulating asbestos exposure levels, it is likely that you had unsafe contact with asbestos insulation.

Insulate yourself from the costs of asbestos-related disease

If you are suffering from an asbestos-related disease and want to learn more about your legal options, call Weitz & Luxenberg today, or fill out a form to receive a free legal consultation. We have helped our clients secure a total of over $3 billion dollars in compensation through verdicts and settlements, and we will do our best to help you, too.

Acknowledgments:

http://www.epa.gov/asbestos/pubs/asbestos_in_schools.html

http://www.epa.gov/asbestos/pubs/help.html

http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/295966-overview#showall

http://www.osha.gov/OshDoc/data_AsbestosFacts/asbestos-factsheet.pdf