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Who is at Risk for Developing Mesothelioma?
When asbestos products were installed, repaired, maintained, renovated or removed, the asbestos was scraped, cut, sanded, or mixed with other products, such as cement. These processes created asbestos dust, which was then inhaled by workers. Asbestos dust remains airborne for weeks, affecting those who worked directly with asbestos, as well as those who simply worked nearby. When an area is swept, the dust is stirred up and becomes airborne again. One cloud of dust contains millions or billions of asbestos fibers.
Many different trades were exposed to asbestos-containing materials and products, including truck drivers, factory workers, mechanics, roofers, railroad workers, shipyard workers, machinists, electricians and plastic molders. Duration and intensity of asbestos exposure are two very important factors linked to asbestos-related diseases, such as mesothelioma and lung cancer.
Asbestos exposure can also affect family members of workers who carried home asbestos dust and fibers on their clothing and shoes. In addition, exposure can result from casual handling of clothing or even from cleaning a house where asbestos was tracked in from the job on a worker's shoes. This type of exposure is called secondhand or para-occupational exposure.
Despite the well-documented health dangers associated with asbestos, this mineral has never been completely banned in the United States. Even though the dangers of asbestos were well-known and documented in the medical and scientific communities by the 1930's, asbestos-containing products were still manufactured and used in a variety of industries up until the late 1970's. Substitutes for asbestos were available, but because asbestos was the cheaper alternative it was preferred in many industries over the alternatives.
The Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 created two new government agencies designed to protect the workers of America; the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) and the Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA). OSHA has currently set new limits and safety regulations for asbestos exposure in the workplace.
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