Throughout the 20th century, tons of asbestos were mined in our country and put in thousands of everyday products. Asbestos was very inexpensive and was used as filler in many different products throughout many different industries. For example, asbestos was widely used in cements, mortar, insulation, and bricks.
There are a number of different jobs where workers were exposed to a large amount of asbestos on a very frequent basis. People who have worked as brick layers or stone masons may have an increased risk of developing mesothelioma cancer due to asbestos exposure on the jobsite.
Bricklayers who work to lay brick at construction sites regularly work with and around many construction materials that may contain asbestos. While on construction sites, bricklayers are often exposed to asbestos wrapped pipes, asbestos insulation, glue, and cements made with asbestos among many other materials. Bricklayers also work directly with mortar as adhesive while laying bricks that may have been made with asbestos filler to make the materials sturdy and fire retardant. Bricklayers working to lay or repair brick in furnaces or fire places may have worked with "fire bricks" that were made with asbestos to resist extreme heat.
When cutting, drilling, and sanding these asbestos containing materials, bricklayers may have unknowingly placed themselves at risk of inhaling asbestos fibers. When performing these regular job tasks, asbestos can be released as dust into the air where it can then be inhaled. If asbestos fibers are inhaled or ingested, the fibers may then lodge themselves in lung tissue, causing inflammation and damage that may eventually lead to mesothelioma cancer or other asbestos diseases. Unfortunately, millions of people have been exposed to asbestos over the years. Only now are we able to see the disastrous effects of asbestos exposure in the workplace. Generally, it takes 10 to 60 years from the time of asbestos exposure until symptoms appear or mesothelioma is diagnosed.
Many of the companies have established trust funds to pay compensation to persons injured by asbestos.
If you have mesothelioma, or another asbestos-related injury, and wish to consult an attorney about your legal rights to compensation, CLICK HERE for a free consultation.