Household Exposure To Asbestos

Not all mesothelioma sufferers were exposed to asbestos at their workplaces or in public environments. Some were affected by secondhand exposure through family members’ clothing, shoes or hair. An often-cited example is a wife who is exposed while doing her husband’s laundry after he has been exposed on the job.

This phenomenon of household asbestos exposure is also sometimes referred to as “take home exposure.” The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health Report to Congress on Workers’ Contamination Study, conducted under The Workers’ Family Protection Act (29 U.S.C. 671a) concluded that, “…families of asbestos-exposed workers have been at increased risk of pleural, pericardial or peritoneal mesothelioma, lung cancer, cancer of the gastrointestinal tract, and non-malignant pleural and parenchymal abnormalities as well as asbestosis.”

Clothes Are Key

For more than 100 years, experts have recommended that street clothes not be worn in work areas and that work clothes be removed before a worker leaves a factory to prevent exposure by nonworkers to contaminants of the workplace. Various occupational handbooks have outlined such policies, including recommendations that employers launder work clothes, and employees shower before going home. Furthermore, research studies and reports dating back to the second half of the twentieth century have pinpointed the dangers to children of exposure to asbestos in neighborhoods and through parents’ clothing.

Contact Savinis, Kane, & Gallucci, L.L.C., Today

Were you or your children exposed to asbestos by way of a breadwinning family member? You do not need to invest in lawyers’ fees upfront to take advantage of the knowledge and experience of our Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, asbestos litigation attorneys. We represent clients on a contingency basis. That means you pay no attorney fees unless and until we win monetary compensation for you. Call 412-567-4931 or complete our contact form to schedule your free initial consultation.