ASBESTOS SPONGE BLOCKS

Though resistant to heat and fire, asbestos sponge blocks cause mesothelioma in boiler and furnace workers

An investigation by the EWG Action Fund, an environmental research group in Washington D.C., unearthed documents dating back to the 1930s showing that corporate executives knew and concealed the dangers of asbestos from workers making or handling asbestos-laden building materials, roofing, brake and clutch linings, and insulation (including asbestos sponge blocks insulation, discussed below).

ASBESTOS SPONGE BLOCKS

June 7, 2010 – Asbestos sponge blocks, a building insulation material that contained up to 20 percent asbestos, was used to great effect around furnaces and boilers throughout most of the 20th century.

But asbestos kills. Asbestos disease is accountable for some 10,000 deaths in the United States every year, and 90,000 worldwide. Retired construction workers make up a large percentage of those fatalities.

Asbestos sponge blocks

Prized for its heat- and flame-resistant properties, asbestos was commonly found in hundreds of building construction products right up until 1977. That’s when the Consumer Product Safety Commission banned its use in new construction materials.

But the deadly legacy of asbestos construction products (like sponge block insulation) can still be found in most buildings standing today.

It is no secret to medical nor legal authorities that thousands of construction workers have already died of asbestos-related diseases as a result of working with such tainted products.

Asbestos sponge blocks

Construction workers are most vulnerable to asbestos exposure during renovation and demolition work. These projects usually occur in older buildings, where asbestos materials are most commonly found.

Asbestos exposure can easily occur at a construction work-site, when workers accidentally inhale airborne asbestos fibers that dislodge from old or damaged materials and products.

The fibers become trapped in lung tissue and fester for decades before symptoms of mesothelioma can be diagnosed. By then, it is usually too late for a cure.

Legal options

It may not be too late to fight back. Asbestos-injured workers have obtained millions of dollars in compensation for medical bills and lost wages by filing asbestos claims with legal representation from Weitz & Luxenberg.

Weitz & Luxenberg specializes in asbestos-injury litigation. Our firm is known in the legal community and throughout the nation for obtaining record-setting verdicts and settlements for workers who have fallen ill from on-the-job asbestos exposure.

Protect your family’s financial future today. Obtain a free appraisal of your case via the communication form at left. Let a seasoned asbestos-injury law firm help you make informed decisions during this difficult time for you and your family.