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 insulation, machinary, cement, siding, and roofing materials.
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 in building material manufacturing may have an increased risk of developing mesothelioma cancer due to asbestos exposure on the jobsite.
Asbestos, now known to cause mesothelioma cancer among other diseases, was a desirable building material as it was a cheap insulator that is resistant to heat and fire. It is also a strong mineral, making building materials sturdy and durable. Building and construction materials such as roofing materials, brick mortar, bricks, insulation, siding, paints, and cement among other materials were all products which contained asbestos fillers.
Workers in plants and factories that manufactured these building materials may have been exposed to asbestos and put at risk of developing mesothelioma. In some construction material manufacturing factories where workers were required to work around flames or high temperatures, such as steel and iron manufacturing, clothing and masks may have been fabricated with textiles containing asbestos to protect workers from burns and fumes. Asbestos minerals can easily break into small fibers when handled and disturbed as building material manufacturing jobs would require. Once asbestos dust becomes airborne, it can be inhaled with the potential to cause damage to organ tissues that may eventually lead to the development of mesothelioma and other asbestos-related 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.