North Carolina Asbestos Exposure
Because asbestos has been used for so long and in so many ways, many of us have encountered asbestos in one form or another. Its harm, however, occurs only when the products containing the substance are disturbed and its small fibers enter the air. When these fibers are inhaled, the damage can begin. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health has determined that "all levels of asbestos exposure studied to date have demonstrated asbestos-related disease ... there is no level of exposure below which clinical effects do not occur." Asbestos Bibliography, DHHS (NIOSH) Publication No. 97-162, p.25 (1997).
Those at highest risk for dangerous asbestos exposure in North Carolina are workers who have been in contact with the fibers over a period of years. These workers’ family members are also at risk because they have likely been exposed to fibers carried home by the workers on hair, skin, and clothing. Evidence of asbestos damage may not arise for up to 50 years following the initial exposure.
Workers at Particular Risk
Because there are so many uses for asbestos, there are many types of workers who may have suffered dangerous asbestos exposure. Several types of industries and occupations in North and South Carolina put workers at particular risk.
- Chemical Manufacturing or Processing Plants
Manufacturing facilities that produce or make use of high temperature products used asbestos products in their construction. High temperature steam lines and chemical lines were often insulated with asbestos material. These plants also often had boilers and other equipment insulated with asbestos, as well as asbestos gaskets, packing fire blankets, and other materials used throughout the plant.
Because of the great risk of fire at power plants, asbestos was heavily used in their construction, particularly before 1990. Insulation, gaskets, and tiles were often made of asbestos. Workers who are exposed to this asbestos when it is in a disturbed state (such as when a renovation occurs or general wear and tear releases the fibers) are at risk. Some of these affected workers may include electricians, maintenance workers, pipe fitters, boilermakers, and repair personnel.
Another industry exposing its workers to an increased risk of asbestos damage is the steel and metal industry. Because heat is an important part of the steel-making process, asbestos was used to insulate furnaces, fittings, generators, and boilers. It was also used to create heat-protective clothing, such as masks, aprons, and gloves.
Asbestos was a very common component of ships until around 1990. Therefore, any workers repairing or constructing furnaces, pipes, doors, boilers, incinerators, or floors may have been exposed to asbestos fibers.
Although most of the asbestos used in American industry has been imported from other countries, some asbestos has been mined in the United States. Of course, any workers directly involved in the mining of asbestos are at an increased risk of asbestos-related disease.
- Construction / Demolition
Many building supplies, including the following, contained asbestos for much of the twentieth century: floor and ceiling tiles, paints, insulation, cement, roofing materials. Construction workers and workers demolishing or renovating buildings containing these materials are at an increased risk for asbestos-related disease.
You Have a Voice
If you or a family member may have been exposed to asbestos at home or at work, you do have a place to turn. At Ward Black Law, we work hard to get our asbestos clients the compensation they need to address their medical needs and provide for their families. We exist to give a voice to ordinary people facing extraordinary struggles. Contact us today for a free consultation.
