Take charge of your own health - Educate yourself!

I’m sure you’ve seen commercials featuring a mesothelioma law firm giving contact information to speak with a mesothelioma lawyer, and there has been a great deal of public attention on this disease for several years now. Because of that, I was all the more surprised when I learned the husband of one of our employees was given the task of covering areas right after being stripped of  asbestos without the benefit of any protective gear or even a briefing on the dangers involved.

Mesothelioma is a type of cancer that forms in the lining of the chest (pleura), abdomen, or in rare cases, around the heart.   The main risk factor is exposure to asbestos. While most of the people diagnosed with mesothelioma are people who are exposed to asbestos as part of their work over a period of time, it is possible for a much lesser exposure to cause cancer as well (such as family members who are exposed to particles that may be carried home from the job on a worker’s clothing). What we typically find in almost all cancers are that while high levels trigger the disease in many people, there are some who are apparently sensitive enough to develop cancer from much lower concentrations of the substance in question, which usually means that there is no real safe level of exposure to any known carcinogenic material.

The crew stripping the material was from a special hazard team, and worked in full body protection suits removing the material from the building. However, as soon as their team moved into the next room and before the cleanup, our employee’s husband was sent into the room to apply material over the stripped area and seal it up. I’m glad he came to me and described the situation, because asbestos fibers are particularly dangerous when they have been disturbed and are airborne.  Frankly I was shocked that his employer did not value the safety of his employees more highly, and it would seem that mesothelioma lawyers are going to be busy for decades to come.

The take-away lesson is – never let anyone else make health decisions for you. Don’t assume that your employer or anyone else won’t take risks with your health. Educate yourself about the dangers of any situation, and take appropriate measures to safeguard your well-being.