Asbestos shows where there’s fiber, there’s fire

Posted by Bruce Westbrook

June 25, 2008

Asbestos is all around us. But that doesn’t mean it’s killing us. You may have asbestos-laced insulation in your attic, yet as long as that insulation isn’t disturbed, you run little risk of inhaling its potentially deadly asbestos fibers, which can lead to cancer.

Sadly, for many workers asbestos exposure and asbestos poisoning are a daily occurrence – and often without their knowledge. That apparently was the case for Ronald Deem, an Orange, Texas man who recently died after spending many years working in paper mills, chemical plants, refineries, military installations and other sites where asbestos exposure was suspected. His widow is now bringing an asbestos lawsuit for damages against his former employers and manufacturers – 39 companies, to be exact.

Though asbestos’ dangers have been known for centuries, protective measures have been relatively recent, and not all companies which produce and use the flame-retarding substance have been forthright about whether or not proper safety measures have been taken.

As a result, many unsuspecting workers have been slowly exposed to damaging asbestos fibers over long periods of time, during which their health dangers were not readily apparent. Decades can pass before a person who’s been exposed to asbestos poisoning shows clear signs of an asbestos-related disease, such as the lung cancer known as mesothelioma. And by then, it may be too late.

The trade-off is that asbestos – a mineral fiber – provides fire protection and heat insulation. So in some respects it does good. And many materials containing asbestos aren’t dangerous unless they’re disturbed and asbestos fibers are released into the air, where they can be inhaled into the lungs.

Of course, for fire protection, asbestos isn’t everything. Even asbestos won’t stop many blazes, such as the fire which recently engulfed the multi-million-dollar Long Island home of rapper 50 Cent, burning it to the ground, or the Malibu wildfire which destroyed the home of actress Suzanne Somers.

The important thing is not to see asbestos as a cure-all or a kill-all, but as a potential hazard which requires awareness.

If you’re unsure whether your home is properly safeguarded against deadly asbestos fibers, contact an asbestos consultant or an environmental inspection company to check it out. Such a test may simply put your mind at ease – or it may help safeguard your health.

On the other hand, if you’ve already suffered or suspect that you’ve suffered asbestos-related injury in the workplace, then beyond seeking immediate medical care, seek legal help. An asbestos lawyer at Jim S. Adler & Associates can assist you in making a claim for damages.

Many companies have no excuse for continuing to subject workers to dangerous asbestos fibers. An asbestos attorney can make them pay for that negligence in court.

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