Asbestos and silica have been widely used in many American industries, used to create many products – and caused health problems for many of those exposed.
Silica is the second most common mineral in the earth’s crust, and silicosis is a disabling and sometimes fatal lung disease caused by overexposure to it. More than 1 million U.S. workers are exposed to crystalline silica, and more than 250 American workers die with silicosis each year. No cure exists for the disease, but it is preventable.
Asbestos is a group of minerals that naturally occurs as masses of strong, flexible fibers that can be separated into thin threads and woven.
Asbestos tends to break into dust that can float in the air and stick to clothes. Its fibers are easily inhaled or swallowed.
The following symptoms could denote an asbestos-related disease: shortness of breath, cough or a change in cough pattern, blood in the liquid coughed up from the lungs, pain in the chest or abdomen, difficulty in swallowing or prolonged hoarseness, and/or significant weight loss. Silicosis produces similar symptoms.
Asbestos has been mined in North America since the late 1800s, but its use increased during World War II. Since then, it has been used in many industries, such as building and construction, shipbuilding, automotive, railroad, and many others.
In the late 1970s, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission banned using asbestos in wallboard patching compounds and gas fireplaces because the asbestos was easily released into the air.
Asbestos exposure may increase the risk of several serious diseases, such as asbestosis, lung cancer, mesothelioma, cancer of the larynx, cancer of the gastrointestinal tract, and other cancers.
Victims of asbestos exposure may not develop symptoms of asbestos-related diseases for many decades after exposure. The average lag between exposure to asbestos and lung cancer is about 15 years, but 30 to 35 years is not unusual. The lag between exposure and mesothelioma or asbestosis is can be as long as 40 to 45 years. Silicosis usually forms between five to 10 years.
Since the early 1940s, millions of Americans have been exposed to asbestos, especially many of the almost five million men and women who worked in shipyards during World War II. Many workers have been exposed since then as well, such as those who have worked in shipbuiliding, asbestos mining and milling, insulation in the construction trade, demolition, drywall removing, and firefighting.
Those most at risk for exposure to silica are workers in the construction, glass manufacturing, agriculture, railroad, and soap and detergent manufacturing industries and foundry workers. Those who remove paint and rust from buildings and other surfaces, as well as those who clean foundry castings, work with stone or clay, etch or frost glass, and work in construction also are at risk. More than 100,000 U.S. workers are exposed to silica through rock drilling, sandblasting, and mining.
It is possible that family members of workers heavily exposed to asbestos can develop mesothelioma. This risk comes from asbestos dust brought into the home on clothing, shoes, skin, and hair of workers.
Almost the entire American population has been exposed to some measure of asbestos because it is and has been so widely used. But those who have been heavily exposed in the workplace, home, or by other means are at risk of disease.
If you’ve been diagnosed with silicosis or an asbestos-related disease, you may be entitled to compensation. Make an appointment now and let Ted Machi & Associates evaluate your claim.
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