If you’re familiar with Pennsylvania state history, you likely already know a lot about Pittsburgh as it was a central hub of progress throughout the industrial revolution. In addition to its role as a significant figure in state and national history, the city continues to offer myriad amenities and cultural delights to visitors and residents alike. If you’re passionate about architecture, you may be thrilled by the many modern skyscrapers as well as old buildings available for you to investigate.
As for the latter, you may be one of many who earn a living in a factory or old building structure in the Pittsburgh area. In fact, you might live in a house that’s been standing for well over half a century or more! If so, there may be a downside to the antiquity of your home or workplace. Such places often pose serious health risks due to possible asbestos exposure. Knowing where to seek support is crucial toward getting the help you need if a problem arises.
Identify hazards and know how to avoid them
Does the fact that asbestos exists in some Pittsburgh buildings mean you should run out today and put a for sale sign in your front yard? Not necessarily, as there are often ways to co-exist where there’s asbestos to either safely remove it from a particular area or at least avoid exposure. The following list includes tips for hazard identification and safety:
- Products that often contain asbestos: Whether at work or home, you’ll want to pay close attention to things like insulation, old pipes, floor and ceiling tiles, and other building materials. The older such items happen to be, the higher the risk for asbestos exposure.
- Jobs that are most hazardous: If you have ever worked in a shipyard, steel mill, coal mine, or demolition or renovation site, you may have been exposed to asbestos at one time or other.
- Strict standards improve safety: The Occupational Safety and Health Administration sets the standards to which all employers must adhere concerning asbestos. It is your employer’s responsibility to keep you informed of potential hazards and to provide proper training and all available safety equipment to keep your risk of exposure as low as possible.
Symptoms of asbestos-related illnesses are not always immediately apparent. You may have been exposed to these microscopic particles as far back as the 1970s and only now have begun to experience health problems that may be connected to the exposure. This is because asbestosis, mesothelioma and other respiratory illnesses are often slow-developing conditions.
No matter how much time elapses between your exposure to asbestos and an illness that is related, you may seek justice if you believe your employer or another party’s negligence was a causal factor.