ASBESTOS IN SCHOOL
Another school teacher dies from an asbestos-related lung disease

March 9, 2009 – The coroner in Worcestershire, England recorded an open verdict after a local school teacher died as a result of asbestos exposure at the age of 65.

The victim, a Droitwich woman, died on Friday, October 31, at her home on Littleton Road after suffering from a lung disease caused by asbestos exposure. School teachers die from asbestos more than anyone would imagine. (Please read data below.)

The victim's family recounted the time she worked as a history teacher at Bromsgrove College, when major construction work was being done to the building. “They closed half the building off and were doing the work during term time,” said her son, who was a student at the college at the time.

The Worcestershire coroner could not be sure the woman’s lung disease was caused by this particular exposure. “Asbestos is a naturally occurring substance. It is possible, but perhaps more likely than not that it could have been ingested at work,” the coroner said at the inquest last week.

The ABCs of asbestos in schools

In the United States, there is a high incidence of asbestos-related mortalities among the nation’s school teachers, primarily due to long-embedded, deteriorating asbestos materials in aging school buildings. Based on the above news item, there is little to suggest the situation is any different in the UK.

Many buildings used as schools in the United States were built around WWII, when asbestos was commonly used in construction materials. Asbestos materials become dangerous when they get old and dry, and the fibers become airborne. Teachers routinely spend their entire careers working in such dusty environments.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has confirmed for some time that “there are asbestos-containing materials in most of the nation’s primary, secondary and charter schools” (Please see The ABCs of Asbestos in Schools, Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics, 2003).

A government review of U.S. death certificates reveals an elevated mesothelioma mortality rate among school teachers. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) confirms the situation in a 2003 study on work-related health hazards titled “Section 7, Malignant Mesothelioma.” The report identified “Elementary and Secondary Schools” as the No. 3 industry in 1999 that most frequently cited mesothelioma as the cause of death on death certificates.

About mesothelioma . . .

Mesothelioma is a cancer of the lining of the lung, or abdomen, caused by the inhalation of asbestos fibers that irritate internal organs for years, sometimes decades, before a diagnosis can be made. As the deadliest of asbestos-caused cancers, most victims die within two years of being diagnosed.

People who have been harmed by asbestos may contact Weitz & Luxenberg by visiting the firm’s Web site at www.weitzlux.com, or by using the communication form on this page.

About Weitz & Luxenberg, P.C.

Weitz & Luxenberg, founded in 1986, is one of the leading plaintiffs’ law firms in America. The firm has also played leading roles in national and local litigations involving asbestos, DES, silicone breast implants, medical malpractice, and general negligence, among others. A forerunner in the legal fight against environmental polluters, Weitz & Luxenberg has worked with clients harmed by MTBE and mercury, among other toxins. The firm has won numerous cases involving dangerous pharmaceuticals, including Vioxx, achieving a $13.5 million verdict against Merck & Co. The firm’s other active pharmaceutical litigations include actions against the manufacturers of Bextra, ReNu, Celebrex and Ortho Evra.