Many individuals in Pennsylvania and across the country believe in error that the risk of getting ill from asbestos exposure is no longer relevant. But the Center for Asbestos Related Disease wants Americans to understand just how wrong this view is.
Regular testing
CARD conducts daily testing on individuals newly exposed to asbestos while working in mines. The organization also treats individuals with long-term illnesses due to asbestos exposure. A medical director working for CARD explains that the effects of these illnesses can become drastic for both the people exposed to asbestos in the workplace and their families.
One reason many people do not understand the risk of asbestos-related diseases today is the length of time that can pass between exposure and illness. A person exposed to asbestos can develop symptoms four decades after the last contact with the toxic substance. Asbestos-related illnesses vary, but contact with the substance can become a factor for lung cancer, mesothelioma, ovarian cancer, colon cancer, lung tissue fibrosis and more.
Asbestos is unlike many hazardous substances in that there is no level of exposure deemed safe for human contact. Despite this fact, America has never placed a complete ban on the use of this substance. Products made in the country can contain 1% asbestos. Seventy other countries have banned the industrial use of asbestos within their borders.
Asbestos still being found
Efforts are ongoing to minimize asbestos exposure risk for the public. However, many buildings across the nation contain products made of asbestos. These products are found mainly around pipes, on the roof, in the ceiling, and any other place where insulation or fire-retardant products may prove useful.
Exposure to hazardous chemicals like asbestos in the workplace can bring devastation to the lives of workers. Individuals who become ill after exposure to these workplace hazards may benefit from a conversation with an attorney.