In 1998, the National Institute for Occupational Health and Safety released a notification for workers in asbestos textile, friction and packing plant workers. The notification revealed the results of studies done by NIOSH during the 1970s regarding the incidence of asbestos-related diseases in those who were employed in asbestos plants between 1947 and 1974. The study was based exclusively on comparing employment records with death certificates to determine the cause of deaths of those workers who had died before 1974.

They then compared the number of deaths from each cause that would have been expected in a national sample with the number of deaths from each cause in their study. The results showed that workers in asbestos plants had a much greater chance of dying of lung cancer than the general population - there were 49 deaths from lung cancer as opposed to the expected 36. In women, where the expected rate of death from lung cancer was 2, there were 14 deaths from lung cancer - seven times the expected rate.

The results were even more damning when the researchers compared the rates for mesothelioma and asbestosis. Researchers found 13 deaths from mesothelioma in men and 4 in women. The rate of mesothelioma in the general population is so low, that the notification sheet states it "is not possible to estimate a number of expected deaths" from mesothelioma. Seventy six of the men in the study had died of asbestosis, sixty more than the expected rate of 16 in the general population.

Asbestos, a fibrous mineral that has been widely used in industry and construction over the past century, is a known carcinogen. When it is broken or pulverized, it separates into extremely fine fibers that float in the air and can easily be inhaled. Once the fibers are in the body, they may lodge there for decades before causing symptoms. The eventual results of asbestos exposure include

mesothelioma, a rare cancer of the lining of the pleural cavity, the heart or the abdominal cavity;
asbestosis, a progressive condition where asbestos fibers cause lung scarring and petrifaction of lung tissue
an increased risk of lung cancer
an increased risk of colon cancer, abdominal cancer, esophageal cancer and many other cancers

Asbestos Exposure

While those who worked directly with asbestos in fabric, packing and other asbestos plants are the ones who are most likely to have been exposed to asbestos, and are most likely to become ill from asbestos, anyone who worked in a plant where asbestos was used in manufacturing is at risk.

The asbestos companies did little to contain asbestos fibers and asbestos dust, or to protect workers from the hazards of breathing in asbestos fibers. Anyone who worked in an asbestos plant may have been regularly exposed to asbestos fibers, including office workers who may have been exposed to asbestos fibers on the clothing of those who worked in the plant and in the factory.

In addition, there is a risk that workers in asbestos plants may have carried asbestos fibers home with them from work. Few factories and plants instituted hygiene policies designed to reduce or eliminate take-home transfer of hazardous substances from the workplace. There have been many confirmed cases of mesothelioma and other asbestos-related lung diseases in family members of workers exposed to asbestos who have no other history of asbestos exposure.

What to do if you worked in an asbestos plant

The notification from NIOSH instructed workers from asbestos plants that they should take specific steps to safeguard their health. These steps include:

Have regular medical screenings for asbestos related diseases.Workers who were exposed to asbestos in asbestos plants should see a doctor for a medical screening. They should tell their medical professionals about their past asbestos exposure.
Be aware of the symptoms of asbestos-related diseases and see a doctor if they exhibit any of them. Those symptoms include shortness of breath that gets worse over time, persistent cough and chest pain.
Avoid smoking tobacco. Cigarette smokers who were exposed to asbestos have an astronomically higher risk of developing lung cancer than those who were exposed to asbestos, but don't smoke.
Maintain a healthy diet with plenty of fruits and vegetables. There is evidence that some vegetables and fruits may contain antioxidants which reduce the risk of cancer.

Your rights to compensation

If you or someone you know worked in an asbestos plant, or worked with asbestos textiles, packing or other asbestos-containing product and have been diagnosed with mesothelioma or another asbestos-related disease, you may be entitled to compensation for your medical expenses and suffering. Because the asbestos industry deliberately hid the facts about the dangers of asbestos from their workers and the public, juries around the country have awarded large judgments to those who were harmed by asbestos. Learn more about your rights to compensation by contacting an asbestos litigation attorney in your area.