Industrial Manslaughter and Asbestos

Several researchers, scientists and professors who recently attended the President's Cancer Panel in September were prompted by a professor of environmental and occupational health sciences at SUNY Downstate Medical Center to halt the threat of asbestos among industrial workers by amending government policy on asbestos and mesothelioma cancer as well as all carcinogens in the workplace.

Jeanne Mager Stellman, PhD, explained to the panel of individuals that "decades had been wasted on examining the problem of carcinogens" among the workplace and had contributed to the demise of American workers' health. Dr. Stellman also explained to the panel that the government was responsible for the "lack of the will to prevent occupational disease, death and disability" among workers across the United States.

The President's Cancer Panel is an extension of the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and is derived of experts who strive to "improve the investment in preventing cancers" that harm the American people, according to NCI's Web site.

However, Dr. Stellman, who gave a deposition of industrial carcinogens claimed that the toxic effects felt by many workers had manifested through the years and eventually caused the development of cancer among thousands, and basically stated that the panel was not doing enough to protect workers from carcinogens such as asbestos in the workplace.

Where Is Asbestos Used?

Asbestos has been classified by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the International Agency for Research on Cancer as a human carcinogen. Deriving from vermiculite mines, asbestos was used in the construction of millions of homes and products until it was banned in the 1970s and 1980s. NCI reports that the wide-spread use of asbestos cannot be reveresed:

* cement

* hot water pipes

* plastics

* insulation

* roofing

* fireproofing

* sound absorption

* boilers

* steam pipes

* vehicle brake shoes and clutch pads

* ceiling and floor tiles

* paints

* coatings

* adhesives

Mesothelioma As 'Industrial Manslaughter'

Dr. Stellman described to the panel that the carcinogens that industrial workers were exposed to was "ongoing industrial manslaughter" and that through research and records obtained from insulators belonging to a trade union there were and are extreme "cancer risks associated with asbestos and to the widespread control of asbestos that now exists." safe

The EPA is currently responsible for the safe cleanup and disposal of asbestos in American homes, offices, apartment buildings, universities, schools, hospitals, est. However, according to a Seattle Post Intelligencer article from 2007, the EPA has had a "flawed system of examination and cleanup" of several hundred factories that had at one point processed asbestos or contained asbestos-contaminated vermiculite.

Developing Mesothelioma Cancer

According to the NCI, individuals who are at risk for developing asbestos-induced illnesses include those "exposed to asbestos in their workplace, their communities, or their homes." Individuals who feel they may have been exposed to asbestos should contact a medical professional immediately. Additionally, the NCI explains that several signs and symptoms that indivduals can watch for to determine if they may be developing mesothelioma include:

* fatigue

* anemia

* weight loss, loss of appetite

* swelling of the neck or face

* difficulty swallowing

* pain or tightening in the chest

* coughing up blood

* persistent, worsening cough

* shortness of breath

* continued wheezing and hoarseness

Individuals who have been exposed to asbestos fibers or asbestos dust are advised to contact an experienced mesothelioma attorney who can provide a free legal consultation as to the development of a mesothelioma lawsuit. Litigation that is developed surrounding the exposure to asbestos may be able to provide a return on monetary compensation to assist in paying expensive medical bills commonly associated with mesothelioma treatments.