MESOTHELIOMA HIGH-RISK EMPLOYMENT

Within the workplace, exposure to Asbestos fibers can result in serious and deadly health problems, including Mesothelioma, Asbestosis, and Lung-Cancer.

The Occupational Safety & Health Administration

In 1986, the Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) initiated the establishment of strict rules, guidelines and regulations to govern the Permissible Exposure Limits (PEL) for Asbestos within the U.S. workplace.

The exposure limit established was (and still remains) 0.1 fibers/cc of air. PELs are calculated across an 8-hour-shift of a 40-hour working-week.

The OSHA demands that all employers of employees that may be exposed to Asbestos (regardless of the actual exposure level) (a) offer training in the correct and careful usage of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE); and (b) train workers in complete safety.

Furthermore, the OSHA demands that workers who may be exposed to Asbestos levels that may exceed the PEL (a) make use of PPE; (b) undergo surveillance of a specifically medical-nature to look for any signs of Asbestos-connected illness and disease; (c) remove from additional exposure anyone and everyone identified with health-related problems that may have been caused by exposure to Asbestos; and (d) ensure at all times that the relevant paperwork, forms and documentation are all readily available in the event of any employment-connected claims for injury that may have been caused by Asbestos.

The particular aspects of the medical surveillance that the OSHA’s guidelines require employers make available to their employees are: (a) a questionnaire; (b) a physical examination; (c) an X-Ray of the chest; and (d) a spirometric test (which measures lung-function).

The Department of Health and Human Services

The Agency for Toxic Substances & Disease Registry (which falls under the jurisdiction of the Department of Health and Human Services) has identified a number of (a) specific work-environments and (b) particular forms of employment that may result in exposure to potentially-deadly Asbestos:

Workplace Environments:

Asbestos Manufacture (loft-insulation, roofing materials, and building materials)

Vehicle Repair Sites (and particularly in relation to clutches and brakes)

Construction Sites

Maritime Operations

Mining Operations

Offshore Rust Removal

Oil Refineries

Power-Plants

Railroads

Sand or Abrasive Manufacturers

Shipyards

Shipbuilding

YardsSteel-Mills

Occupations:

Asbestos Removal Employees

Demolition Employees

Employees of Asbestos Product Manufacturing Plants

Vehicle Mechanics

Boiler-Makers

Bricklayers

Building Inspectors

Carpenters

Dry-Wall Workers

Electricians

Floor-Covering Manufacturers and/or Installers

Furnace-Employees

Glazers Grinders

Hod-Carriers

Insulators

Iron-Workers

Laborers

Longshoremen

Maintenance-Employees

Merchant-Marines

Millwrights

Operating-Engineers

Painters

Plasterers

Plumbers

Roofers