Throughout the 20th century, tons of asbestos were mined in our country and put in thousands of everyday products. Asbestos was very inexpensive and was used as filler in many different products throughout many different industries. For example, asbestos was widely used in cement products.
There are a number of different jobs where workers were exposed to a large amount of asbestos on a very frequent basis. People who have worked in cement plants may have an increased risk of developing mesothelioma cancer due to asbestos exposure on the jobsite.
Cement is one of many construction materials that historically contained asbestos minerals. Asbestos was often used in cement mixes because it is a strong mineral, making building materials sturdy and durable in addition to being a fire resistant insulator.
When solid and intact, asbestos containing cement does not pose a large threat, however, workers at cement plants were tasked with mixing, forming and distributing cement products in various forms. Workers mixing cement may have been exposed to a particularly high concentration of asbestos dust as these workers were often required to mix asbestos into cement mixtures. Those casting and molding cement may have also been exposed as asbestos containing cement can create dust while setting, or if broken. When asbestos fibers are released in the air they can then be inhaled and cause damage to tissues that may lead to the development of mesothelioma cancer or other asbestos related diseases.
Unfortunately, millions of people have been exposed to asbestos over the years. Only now are we able to see the disastrous effects of asbestos exposure in the workplace. Generally, it takes 10 to 60 years from the time of asbestos exposure until symptoms appear or mesothelioma is diagnosed.
Many of the companies have established trust funds to pay compensation to persons injured by asbestos.
If you have mesothelioma, or another asbestos-related injury, and wish to consult an attorney about your legal rights to compensation, CLICK HERE for a free consultation.
