Cement Plant Workers

Asbestos cement was one of the most commonly used asbestos products of the last century. The addition of asbestos to Portland cement created a lightweight, very durable material that could be molded, cast and extruded to create asbestos siding shingles, roofing tiles and many other cast and molded items for building. It was used especially for asbestos siding shingles and panels because the addition of asbestos strengthened the cement which was too brittle for use at the thickness required for shingles and siding.

Until the 1970s, the asbestos used in asbestos cement was often crocidolite or amosite asbestos, which have been traditionally considered to be far more harmful than the chrysotile asbestos that was most commonly used after the early 70s. Those who worked in cement plants before 1970 have a higher risk of developing mesothelioma or asbestosis than those who worked there from 1970 onward. However, even those workers who were only exposed to chrysotile asbestos carry a significantly higher risk of mesothelioma, asbestosis and other asbestos-related diseases than the general public.

Asbestos, a mineral that naturally forms fine, long fibers when it is broken or crushed, becomes a serious health hazard when the fine fibers are inhaled and become lodged in the lungs. In cement plants, where workers mixed the Portland cement with sand and crushed, powdered asbestos, workers were exposed to extremely high levels of asbestos-laden dust in the air. Even those who didn't work directly with mixing the cement were exposed to extreme levels of asbestos dust, as were those who serviced the machinery, cleaned the plant and worked in the building in other capacities.

Even worse, workers who were exposed to high levels of asbestos in cement plants every day returned home at the end of their workday covered with asbestos powder and dust. There are many cases of mesothelioma among the spouses and children of factory workers who were exposed to high levels of asbestos dust at work. They were exposed to asbestos dust from the clothing and body and hair of their parents and/or spouses. The most affected by this secondhand exposure to asbestos tend to be spouses who were responsible for laundering work clothes. They would be exposed to airborne asbestos fibers when they shook the dust out of dirty, dusty work clothes at the end of the day.

Asbestos-Related Diseases

People exposed to asbestos experience no immediate symptoms. In fact, it may be decades before they realize the effects of their exposure to asbestos. Most asbestos-related diseases have a latency period of decades, so it can be twenty to fifty years before the effects of asbestos are known. The most commonly known asbestos-related diseases are asbestosis, lung cancer and mesothelioma. Lung cancer may have other causes, but the risk of developing lung cancer is greatly increased by exposure to asbestos. Mesothelioma and asbestosis have no other known cause. In addition to the most extreme asbestos-related diseases, there are other conditions caused by asbestos that can be painful and limiting. These include pleural scarring and plaques, spots on the lungs that restrict breathing and lung use.

Asbestosis is a progressive buildup of scar tissue in the lungs due to asbestos. When asbestos fibers break off and are inhaled, the tiny needle-like fibers can get lodged in the lungs. They may work their way into the tissues, and through the lung tissue into the lung lining. The body recognizes the invader, but the antibodies that it produces are not designed to dissolve and remove the inorganic mineral fibers. Instead, the antibodies end up releasing digestive enzymes that work on the cells of the lungs, building up scar tissue that eventually reduces the capacity of the lungs until the victim of asbestosis suffocates.

There is no cure for asbestosis. Once the scarring begins, it will get progressively worse, destroying more and more lung tissue until the lungs are unable to function.

Mesothelioma is a form of cancer that was once considered extremely rare, but whose incidence has been increasing steadily since the 1970s as those who were exposed to asbestos fibers during the peak years of its use develop the disease. Researchers believe that the incidence of mesothelioma will peak around 2015 and begin to decrease, but disasters like the 9/11 terrorist attacks, which literally released tons of asbestos dust into the air, show that the risk of exposure to asbestos still exists. We could be dealing with mesothelioma for decades to come.

Cement plant workers are not the only ones who were exposed to asbestos. Asbestos related diseases are one of the few health conditions that are recognized as almost exclusively occupational in origin. The Centers for Disease Control estimate that asbestos will cause thousands of deaths. There are over 3,000 new cases of mesothelioma diagnosed every year.

All of this could have been avoided and tens of thousands of lives saved if the companies that mined, processed and distributed asbestos-containing products had taken steps to protect their workers and the public from the dangers of asbestos when they first learned of them. Instead, those companies deliberately hid the dangers of asbestos to avoid lawsuits and bad publicity that would have cut into their profits. Because of their negligence and deliberate disregard for the health of their workers, many companies that distributed and manufactured asbestos containing products have been held liable in court for damages resulting from asbestos.

If you worked in a cement plant or other industry where you were exposed to asbestos and have since become ill with an asbestos related disease, you may be entitled to compensation for your injuries. Contact a mesothelioma lawyer who specializes in asbestos litigation to learn more about your rights and options.

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