Tuesday, November 15, 2005

Asbestos in the Workplace

Asbestos exposure is not limited to manufacturing work sites. Schools, churches, office buildings, and recreation centers contained significant amounts of asbestos until only a few decades ago. While those who worked in asbestos quarries and manufacturing centers are the most at risk, significant amounts of unrelated people were indirectly endangered. Workers often carried microscopic asbestos fibers home with then in their clothes and hair which caused secondary exposure to their families and friends. Furthermore, asbestos contamination affected many occupations not directly involved in the asbestos production or construction industries. A few at risk professions are:

• Automotive mechanics
• Boiler makers
• Bricklayers
• Building Inspectors
• Carpenters
• Electricians
• Insulators
• Iron workers
• Laborers
• Longshoremen
• Maintenance workers
• Merchant marines
• Millwrights
• Painters
• Plasterers
• Plumbers
• Roofers
• Sheet metal workers
• Tile setters
• U.S. Navy veterans
• Welders

These professions suffered the most significant exposure to asbestos. It is critically important that if you or a loved one has worked in any of these industries that you consult a doctor immediately. Early detection of asbestos-related diseases enables the maximum amount of treatment options.

Source : http://www.resource4mesothelioma.com/

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