Asbestos may be dangerous for people, but it has historically been beneficial for big businesses. It is natural and plentiful, while also being cheap as a material. It is an excellent insulator and fire retardant, which made it a popular inclusion in many products.
However, when you factor in secondary expenses, like the cost to provide workers with protection and future financial liability, using asbestos for products suddenly becomes less financially viable. Some businesses sacrificed worker safety for more profits. What are some of the ways companies gamble with the health of their employees because of asbestos?
They don’t err on the side of caution
Those who work with brake pads cannot tell just from looking at them whether those brake pads have asbestos in them or not. Workers who remodel homes could encounter asbestos in old flooring products and popcorn ceilings, as well as various other places throughout the building.
Companies should err on the side of caution about asbestos exposure by assuming anything that could contain asbestos does. Instead, many of them just hope that the ceiling their workers will scrape down in a client’s home doesn’t contain asbestos.
They don’t invest in adequate protective measures
There are numerous means of protecting employees from dangerous asbestos exposure, from respirators to sanitation facilities. Companies often go with the cheapest protection they can obtain while complying with the law and will do the very least they can.
Workers who later get sick because their employer put profits ahead of worker safety may be able to bring a claim because of their asbestos-related illness.