The dangers of asbestos came to full public attention a long time ago. Many of the companies that used asbestos knew about the dangers long before that.
You might therefore assume that asbestos worries are a thing of the past. However, that’s not the case.
The U.S. is still using asbestos
Pharmaceutical company Johnson & Johnson only stopped selling baby powder containing talc (which research shows was often contaminated by asbestos and caused mesothelioma) in 2022.
Others keep on importing and using it to this day. Chief among them are two chemical companies that use it in the production of chlorine – OxyChem and Olin Corp.
It’s possible to make chlorine without it, but they insist on continuing and claim they have made it safe to do so. That’s exactly what many of the companies now facing mesothelioma lawsuits said years ago – that it was safe. As mesothelioma typically takes years to present, current workers who deal with it may not discover the truth for years.
Other areas where workers and others could still come into contact with it include:
- Renovating old buildings
- Repairing old vehicles
- Refitting or scrapping old ships
Hopefully, current employers are more careful than some of their predecessors and do all they can to protect their workers from asbestos contact. However, you don’t need to search far to see that there are employers breaking the rules and ignoring safety codes in many industries throughout the country, and that has been going on for years.
If you discover that you have mesothelioma, it’s worthwhile to look into your legal options.