Jobsite Exposure

Shipyards

Certain professions increase the risk of asbestos exposure.  Shipyard workers were heavily exposed to asbestos during World War II and any time before 1980.  Because of its ability to resist high tempatures and corrosion, asbestos was ideal for use in ship building.  It has been used in insulation for incinerators, hot water pipes, boilers, and steam pipes.  The asbestos dust builds up around inadequately ventilated parts of the ship as well as the areas mentioned above.

It wasn't only the ship builders who were heavily exposed to asbestos, but the longshoremen and the crew as well.  Before 1980 many longshoremen probably loaded asbestos bundles onto ships. Before that time, there were no special precautions taken to prevent the inhalation of asbestos as the health risks of asbestos were not known at that time.

A study conducted at the Mt. Sinai School of Medicine found that 86% of shipyard workers with 20 or more years of experience developed asbestos-related lung disease or lung cancer.

If you have ever worked on an old ship or in a shipyard and think you may have been exposed to asbestos, it is very important you discuss it with you doctor.  Mesothelioma, as with any cancer, is most easily treated when caught as early as possible.  Once you have taken care of any health issues, you should contact an attorney about seeking any compensation you may be owed due to your exposure to asbestos.

World Trade Center

September 11th, 2001 will forever be remembered as one of the most horrifiying days in American history.  Most people remember exactly where they were when they got the news about the airplanes that flew into the world trade center.  And for many of those same people there are very real health dangers associated to the World Trade Center catastrophe.

Debris and dust from the World Trade Center posed some very dangerous potential health hazards to all the men and women exposed during the buring and collapse of the Twin Towers.  The dust included not only materials that made up the World Trade Center, but aslo from the aircrafts that struck the building.

The dust from the World Trade Center poses another threat to the men and women who were exposed.  Everyone from the bystanders to the survivors to those that helped clean up the aftermath. Asbestos was present in both towers.  So, the dust created from the collapse, more than likely contained asbestos particles.

Mesothelioma is often considered to be a rare type of cancer, however, breathing in asbestos fibers can cause this deadly disease.  There are approximately 2,000 new cases of this cancer reported each year. One of the biggest issues with mesothelioma is that it can take from 15 to 50 years to show up as a cancer in a patient.

Asbestos exposure is the only known cause of mesothelmioma.  This cancer can affect the linking of the abdomen, lungs and heart.

Other occupations which may increase your risk of asbestos exposure include:

If you think you may have been exposed to asbestos, please contact your physician so you can be properly diagnosed.