ASBESTOS IN THE NEWS
European Union calls for safer ship-breaking procedures in South Asia

December 1, 2008 - The European Union (EU) last Wednesday called for an international convention to establish safer procedures for protecting ship-breaking workers from the hazardous materials frequently found in old ships, including asbestos.

The European Union said that ship breaking often exposes workers to airborne asbestos fibers and must be done more safely to reduce pollution and eliminate asbestos contact with workers, which can lead to the most dangerous form of lung cancer, mesothelioma.

Exploited workers and asbestos

According to the EU, “Workers in South Asia are being exploited and their lives put at risk working in deplorable conditions, while coastal areas are being polluted and ecosystems threatened.”

Between 200 and 600 large merchant ships are taken apart for their valuable scrap metal every year. Most of those removed from service in Europe end up being broken on beaches in South Asia, the EU said in its statement.

The demolition takes place mainly in India, Bangladesh and Pakistan, providing thousands of jobs. Health and safety conditions are very poor, however, as laborers work on vessels ladened with asbestos. A decommissioned French battleship, for example, contained so much asbestos and other toxic substances (270 tons was the estimate) that environmental groups forced France to recall the vessel from Indian yards in 2006.

Time to seek justice!

Despite the serious health problems linked to asbestos exposure, asbestos is still imported and used in the United States. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the U.S. imported and used an estimated 1,820 tons of asbestos in 2007.

Government sources estimate that in the next decade more than 35,000 people nationwide will be diagnosed with the deadliest form of asbestos-related cancer, mesothelioma. This disease is most often the result of industrial workplace exposure to asbestos – and usually contracted through employers’ blatant disregard for the health and safety of their workers.

That’s why people diagnosed with mesothelioma and their family members have strong cases in court. Weitz & Luxenberg has protected the legal rights of workers for 25 years – longer than most law firms in the nation. And in that time its attorneys have won several billion dollars in verdicts and settlements for its clients.

If you have a mesothelioma injury, please complete the form on this page for a free evaluation of your legal rights. There is no cost to you until we win a settlement or a verdict.