Asbestos - A Ticking Time-Bomb Still Legally in Use in Some Products

Have you ever seen the effects of asbestosis, mesothelioma, or any of the various asbestos-related cancers that have killed or destroyed the livelihood of a close fried or relative? Believe me, some very powerful and influential figures have succumbed to these illnesses, so it is not just confined to manual workers working in factories or building sites where asbestos was involved.

As early as 1898 the then Chief inspector of Factories in The United Kingdom in his report to Parliament submitted in his report regarding the ?evil effects of asbestos dust.? He described it even all those years ago as having a sharp, glass like nature, very susceptible to disintegrating into minute particles, which then very easily permeated every nook and cranny in a building, or even a district where such a product was in use.

Litigation due to industrial exposure to asbestos remains the longest, most expensive joint claim in the world, with over 6,000 defendants, and at the latest count well over 600,000 claimants. With the current rate of detection of asbestos related diseases set to rise over the next decade, estimates of the litigation costs on the US alone is expected to rise to well over $250 BILLION. You would have thought that with such amounts at stake, anybody still manufacturing products based on asbestos or any asbestos-related products would be taking an enormous financial risk.

In early times items made of asbestos were held in great esteem, especially by Kings and Emperors, and of equal value to gold. Many in fact were cremated in an asbestos shroud, to keep their ashes separate from any other combustible materials. How rash was that! In fact, talking of rashes, although asbestos fibres when coming into contact with the skin causes rashes, there are stories from ancient times that asbestos was actually prescribed for ailments of the skin ? especially the itch.

Although there are many forms of asbestos, they all have the same characteristic to a greater or lesser degree, that eventually however they may be packaged up within another material, they will all form asbestos dust particles at some point in their life.

Due to asbestos?s fire-retarding properties, until the late 1980?s there were many applications within public and private buildings where asbestos in one form or another was used. Acoustic ceilings, putty, vinyl floor coverings, fire-retardant fillings, adhesives and ceiling tiles, acoustic curtains in theatres, and in brake disk pads in cars, busses and trains, clutch plates, gaskets, fire blankets ? the list is endless, as is the lurking danger.

In fact, many a worker in the American shipyards during the Second Word War were heavily exposed to this asbestos danger, and even some top people were affected and struck down with asbestosis, mesothelioma, or asbestos-induced cancers of some sort.

Now, with many asbestos based products no longer allowed in new construction, there must be thousands upon thousands of sites where asbestos is still lurking, and even demolition and or removal creates its own hazard conditions.

Interestingly, in the interest of ?profit? there are still a number of applications where asbestos is still in use, and can even be found in some consumer products, such as talcum powder.

In all, the list of asbestos based products is still scarily quite long.

Asbestos-cement corrugated and flat sheets; asbestos clothing for heat resistant applications, pipe line wraps, roofing felt, and many applications in the auto industry, including automatic transmission system components, clutch plates, friction pads such as disk brake pads and so forth are still being manufactured.

How many of us have smelt the acrid fumes when a train applies it?s brakes in your local station?

Because of all this historical use of asbestos, we are all constantly exposed to certain levels of asbestos dust. These are usually quite low levels (between 0.00001 to 0.0001 fibres per millilitre of air we breathe) with the higher levels predominately in towns and cities. Some drinking water can also contain asbestos fibres from natural sources, but this is usually very closely monitored.

Where asbestos removal takes place, whole buildings have to be hermetically sealed to try and trap the bulk of the dust.

If you have been unfortunate enough to breathe large quantities of asbestos dust, either in a short burst, or over a period of years the effects are usually very much the same.

1. This dust, on the lungs and the membranes inside us, will eventually cause scar like tissues in the lungs, and in the pleural membrane (lining) surrounding the lungs. This ?asbestosis? as it is known will usually cause coughing, difficulty in breathing, and sometimes, enlargement of the heart. Asbestosis is very serious, and often results in death. However, it is usually confined to those who worked in the asbestos industry.

2. Lower levels of intake of this deadly dust may cause changes called plaques in the pleural membranes. Effects here are not as serious as with asbestosis, but restricted breathing may still take place.

3. Any irritation of the lungs, or any other membrane in the body will have a marked increase in the formation of cancers, and lung cancer and mesothelioma, which is a cancer of the thin lining (pleural membrane) surrounding the lungs is a well-know side effect of breathing asbestos dust.

4. Children are particularly at risk, as how many of them may play around old buildings, and take great pleasure in smashing up old sheets of asbestos, not realising that they are really playing with something more deadly than an unexploded time-bomb.

As a successful property renovator, and provider of buildings for my property club members, asbestos is of a very serious concern to me.

In all, asbestos, although having served mankind ?Faithfully?? down throughout the ages, has now been identified as the spectre of danger that it presents, but unfortunately we have been mining the stuff for centuries, so it will not go away quietly, and without a fight.

Hence the massive levels of lawsuits piling up surrounding all forms of asbestos.

Geoff Morris

Geoff Morris is a Property Entrepreneur who has been studying the dangers of renovating old buildings for his club members (http://www.propertyprofits4u.com). Such an International scare really needs more investigating, and you can identify far more information by visiting http://www.mesotheliomatime.info

Asbestos Mesothelioma Lawyers

Mesothelioma is only one of the asbestos-related diseases, but it is the most serious among them because it can be a deadly form of cancer that affects workers who have been working unprotected in an asbestos environment.

Mesothelioma cases in the States are still rare. It is estimated that there are about 2,000-3,000 new cases every year, but this is probably due to the fact that the majority of people who had been affected by asbestos in the 1930s and 1940s have already died and those who have been exposed to it in the 1960s-1970s still have not developed mesothelioma, so it is fair to say that more mesothelioma cases can be expected in the years to come.

Since mesothelioma is clearly related to unprotected exposure to asbestos in the past, there have been many lawsuits of the victims of the asbestos against companies, who instead of taking measures to protect them against the dangers, chose to hide from the general public facts about the devastating effects of asbestos on human health.

It is this wrongdoing that makes companies liable to their workers and gives grounds for asbestos mesothelioma lawyers to file lawsuits on behalf of their clients. There are lawyers who have significant experience in such cases and have won impressive verdicts for the companies, whose behavior was next to criminal.

Additionally, lawyers who have specialized in the area of mesothelioma know enough about the disease itself to plead the case in court and help their clients. There are mesothelioma lawyers who had virtually done miracles to defect their clients in court!

Therefore, if you or your family is considering starting a mesothelioma lawsuit, the first thing to do is to find a good asbestos mesothelioma lawyer.

Asbestos Lawyers provides detailed information on Asbestos Lawyers, Asbestos Mesothelioma Lawyers, Asbestos Trial Lawyers, Asbestos Lawsuits and more. Asbestos Lawyers is affliated with Asbestos Litigation Attourneys

Asbestos Disposal

Asbestos and asbestos disposal is one of the world's most controversial topics and one of the highest risk management portfolios. A resident of Ohio was fined $22,600, ordered to perform 208 hours of community service and was sentenced to 13 months imprisonment on 21 Feb 2002 for violating the Clean Air Act. Daniel had improperly disposed 469 bags of asbestos waste thereby causing a grave danger to public health. Condition of Asbestos is a major factor in its disposal, depending on the condition; we can divide asbestos into two major groups.

1. Friable - that which can crumble by hand pressure such as insulation, and

2. Non -friable - that which will not crumble under hand pressure such as asbestos sheets in good condition.

If the asbestos is in a non-friable condition, we can leave it as it is. Safety will further improve by painting the surface and edges with a sealing paint that will not allow fibers to escape. Smoothening the edges or surface will release fibers and is dangerous.

Friable asbestos has significant risk of breaking up during handling and needs special care. You should seek adequate advice on asbestos disposal before disposing this dangerous contaminant.

Following is some general advice on asbestos disposal: * If you are unsure whether your appliance contains asbestos, it is best to contact the manufacturer directly and ask. Giving the model and year of manufacture would help. * Ask for specialist advice on asbestos disposal if your appliances contain asbestos. * You can use the yellow pages to locate manufacturers and people offering asbestos disposal services and advice. Disposing small quantities of household asbestos is straight forward, but if quantities are large then consults professional disposal agents. They will observe all laws and will dispose the asbestos in authorized sites only. * The key element of the disposal process lies in ensuring that fibers do not separate and fly into the air. Towards this end, experts advise that we dispose asbestos on a humid and a calm day and reduce the numbers of people involved to the bare minimum. Any dismantling of structures would provide opportunity for the fiber to separate and fly. * While dismantling, keep the asbestos sheet wet with soap water to reduce dust and fiber. * After separating the asbestos, you should pack it in heavy gauge plastic sheets. Smaller pieces can be stored in two layers of polythene bags. * Any residual dust or small pieces can be picked up using a wet cloth and stored in double plastic packets. You should use similar disposal method for clothes used in the asbestos removal process.

As mentioned above, as long as we observe common sense precautions in accordance with advice on asbestos disposal and ensure that fibers do not contaminate surroundings and the quantities involved are small, there is no danger of running foul of the Law. However, it is essential that we are aware of the "Clean Air Act" and similar laws before disposing of large quantities of asbestos. Author: Jenny Gill is an international author with vast experience in a diverse range of subjects, for more information visit www.holisticsciencesyte.com

Jenny Gill is an international author with an immense range of knowledge and skills in a wide range of areas. Jenny is a mother and a grandmother and devotes a lot of her time supporting the aged in her community

Asbestosis And The Legal Implications

A chronic medical condition, which affects the tissue of the lungs, is known as asbestosis. Mine workers and several other professionals suffers from this disease, which occurs due to heavy exposure to asbestos over a long period. Shortness of breath is the most common complaint from those affected by asbestosis and ultimately they end with various types of cancer of the lung.

During the early part of this century, the link between cancer, exposure to asbestos and asbestosis was established and the governments enforced strict safety measures. In 1929, asbestos manufacturers faced the first lawsuit. Afterwards there was a deluge of lawsuits against employers and manufacturing for neglecting the safety regulations.

According to various allegations, training and information regarding detection, removal, diseases, dangers and other issues connected with asbestos are not provided to managers and employers. To implement the wide range of regulations properly, managers and employers are pleading for relevant information and training.

From the sheer magnitude of lawsuits and complaints by people suffering from asbestosis, the liability reached billions of dollars. Many court cases fought over the issue of method and amount of compensation and their allocation. In June 1982, James Cavett, a retired boilermaker was awarded a record compensation of 2.3 million US dollars as compensation and 1.5 million US dollars as punitive damages.

In the history of the United States, one of the most expensive and longest mass torts is asbestos litigation. Currently there are 600000 claimants and 6000 defendants connected with asbestos litigation. According to the current trends, there will be a sizeable increase in the number of people being diagnosed with asbestosis during the next decade.

There was a heavy toll on industry and insurance due to the litigation connected with asbestosis and asbestos. Unfortunately, to obtain a just compensation against the employers and manufacturers of asbestos, litigation is the only recourse.

By employing a lawyer experienced in mesothelioma and asbestosis, substantial compensation can be obtained by individuals exposed to asbestos and subsequently suffering from asbestos related diseases.

In the United States, mesothelioma is known to be caused only by exposure to asbestos and by proving the exposure, which subsequently led to the disease, legal compensation can be easily won. At the same time, it should be noted that the asbestos industry fights these cases by engaging some of the best legal brain available. They not only try to deny compensation but also drag and delay the process of justice to the asbestosis victims.

Lucy Bartlett is a proud contributing author. Find more articles here. For more info visit Lawyer Resource or Asbestos Lawyers.

The MACK Group, LLC Completes the Asbestos Abatement of the Former Point Pleasant Hospital in Point Pleasant, NJ.x

April 2006 - The MACK Group, LLC recently completed the asbestos abatement of the former Point Pleasant Hospital located in Point Pleasant New Jersey. The project consisted of the removal of various asbestos containing materials as well as the abatement of several large boilers.

The project scope consisted of the asbestos abatement of 200,000 square feet of asbestos floor tile and mastic, 70,000 square feet of asbestos roofing, 6000 lineal feet of asbestos piping, 3500 square feet of asbestos sprayed-on fireproofing and the removal of several asbestos containing boilers.

Because the former hospital had been vacant for a long period of time, all utilities were disconnected. The MACK Group, LLC utilized their large onsite generators to supply all power for the 60 HEPA negative air filtration units used inside the work area containments. The MACK Group, LLC also utilized their Terminator floor-scraping machine to assist with the removal of the floor tile and mastic. Also utilized to complete the scope were several skid steers (Bobcat brand), aerial lifts, chutes and twenty of their NJ licensed asbestos workers.

The project schedule was aggressive as the developer needed to complete the project quickly in order to immediately start building the future condominiums. The Mack Group, LLC beat this fast track schedule by 2 weeks. In addition, the work was completed without injury or incident.

The current property owner plans to build several luxury condominiums on the property. The property is located on the corner of the Manasquan River and the Point Pleasant Canal offering spectacular views.

The MACK Group, LLC is an asbestos abatement and demolition contractor that operates on a nationwide basis. Services include asbestos abatement, asbestos removal, asbestos siding removal, asbestos tile removal, demolition, Terminator flooring removals, Shot Blast/Blastrac services and fluorescent bulb and ballast recycling services.

Contact Information

The MACK Group, LLC 1500 Kings Hwy. N., Ste 209 Cherry Hill, NJ 08034 Tel: 973-759-5000 Fax: 973-759-5554 Web: http://www.MACKgrp.com

Stephen King (973) 759-5000 ext. 302 SKing@mackgrp.com

Asbestos - What It Is And How It's Used

In this, and a series of articles that will follow, we will cover asbestos, what it is, how it's made, what it's used for, the health risks of asbestos exposure and how to protect yourself against asbestos.

Asbestos isn't actually one thing. It is a name given to a group of minerals. These minerals occur naturally in bundles of fibers that can be separated into thin threads. These fibers are completely resistant to heat and any kind of chemical and do not conduct electricity. Because of these attributes asbestos is has been used in many industries.

There are basically four types of asbestos that are used.

1. Chrysotile, or white asbestos 2. Crocidolite, or blue asbestos 3. Amosite, which usually has brown fibers 4. Anthophyllite, which usually has gray fibers

The problem with asbestos fibers is that they tend to break very easily and the dust made up of these fibers floats into the air and gets on our clothes and in our lungs. When this happens serious health problems can occur.

Asbestos was first mined and commercially used in the United States in the late 1800s. During the second world war its use increased dramatically. Since then it has been used in many industries. To give some examples, the building and construction industry uses it to strengthen cement and plastics. They also use it for insulation, fireproofing and sound absorption. The shipbuilding industry uses asbestos to insulate boilers, steam pipes and hot water pipes. The automobile industry uses it in its brake shoes and clutch pads. There are over 5000 products that contain asbestos including sewage piping, roofing and siding, electric switchboards, table pads, heat protective mats, heat resistant blankets and curtains, paints, adhesives, caulking, and the list goes on and on.

But when the dangers of asbestos became known in the 1970s the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) banned the use of asbestos in wallboard patching compounds and gas fireplaces because the asbestos fibers in these products could be released into the air from its use. Also during that time, asbestos was removed from electric hair dryers. In 1989 the EPA finally banned all new uses of asbestos. Uses prior to 1989, however, are still allowed. Since that time, the EPA has established regulations that require school systems to inspect for asbestos that has been damaged in order to eliminate, or at least reduce, the exposure to students and faculty, by removing the damaged areas.

In the year 2000 the EPA concluded that the current risk to children from asbestos in schools was very low, however, it was agreed that their products would have to be reformulated within a year. By August of that same year products were being made that greatly reduced the amount of dust that was released during use. The amount of metric tons of asbestos generated in a year dropped from 719,000 metric tons in 1973 to only 9000 metric tons by the year 2000.

In the next instalment we'll go over the health risks from exposure to asbestos.

Michael Russell Your Independent guide to Asbestos

Mesothelioma: More About this Asbestos Cancer

Cancers and other forms of diseases are usually named
according to the part of the body or the internal organ
where abnormal growth of malignant cells takes place.
In the case of Mesothelioma, the abnormal cells grow in
the mesothelium, a surface cell layer that covers and
protects most internal organs. Normally, the
mesothelium produces small amount of fluid in order to
lubricate its layersone of which directly covers the
organand allow the movement of the organs, like the
expansion and contraction of the lungs. A Mesothelioma
cancer patients mesothelium produces too much of this
lubricating fluid, thereby damaging nearby tissues and
organs. The most common form of Mesothelioma is Pleural
Mesothelioma, which begins in the Pleural or
Peritoneum, the membrane that lines the chest cavity
and covers the lungs.

About 2,000 cases of Mesothelioma have been noted
yearly in United States. This is still a rare disease
to consider, although the reported incidents have
escalated in the past two decades. It has been observed
and proven that heavy and long exposure to asbestos is
the prime cause of Mesothelioma. Asbestos is a group of
minerals in strong, flexible and fibrous form. It is
used in industrial products such as cement, brake
linings, textiles, electrical insulation, flooring
products, chemical filters, fireproofing materials and
others. This explains why most Mesothelioma patients
are working in construction sites, shipyards and
manufacturing companies of said industrial products.
Small asbestos particles float in the air and are
either inhaled or swallowed by workers or persons
within the vicinity. Aside from Mesothelioma, these
people can acquire asbestosis, a non-cancerous chronic
lung sickness and other forms of cancer of the lungs,
cancer of the larynx and kidney.

Asbestos-related Mesothelioma comprise only 70 to 80
percent of the all the reported cases of the said
cancer. There are reported Mesothelioma cases wherein
the patients did not have any known exposure to
asbestos. Some have been exposed only for a short
period of time but still developed the cancer 20 to 50
years after the exposure, like in the case of a
Mesothelioma cancer patient who only washed clothes
that have been exposed to asbestos. Likewise, asbestos
fibers that have been stuck in the hair strands of a
factory worker can also risk the health of others whom
he lives with. It is therefore important for workers
exposed to asbestos to change their clothes and take a
shower before leaving the workplace to prevent his
family members or companions from inhaling the asbestos
particles and thus, from acquiring Mesothelioma.

The Mesothelioma cancer is slow-forming. Thats why one
develops the cancer so many years after the exposure to
asbestos. Some develop the cancer fifty years after the
exposure, which makes it hard to determine whether the
person has Mesothelioma or not, especially when the
patient has no knowledge of the exposure to asbestos.
Moreover, malignant Mesothelioma shows signs similar to
those of other ailments such as pneumonia. Symptoms of
Pleural Mesothelioma also evident in other illnesses
include: shortness of breath, persistence of cough,
weight loss and chest pain. Peritoneal Mesothelioma,
which affects the abdominal cavity, is indicated by
swelling of and pain in the abdomen, weight loss, bowel
obstruction, anemia, blood clotting abnormalities and
fever.
Complete physical examination is needed to make sure
one has Mesothelioma cancer. This includes xrays of the
body part where the symptoms are felt or seen, CT scan
and MRI. To confirm Mesothelioma, a biopsy is also
performed by a surgeon or oncologist (a physician who
is specializing in the diagnosis and treatment of a
cancer). The sample tissue removed by the surgeon is
examined by the pathologist. Once confirmed, the doctor
then finds out the extent of the cancer, which is
crucial to the treatment of Mesothelioma. Although
malignant, Mesothelioma when earlier diagnosed can
still be treated. Most Mesothelioma patients undergo
surgery, radiation therapy and chemotherapy.
David Arnold Livingston is an advocate for Health
and recommends, as a resource:
http://www.newmesothelioma.com/MesotheliomaCancer/