The risk of asbestos exposure is hard to overstate, especially for those with a work history in construction and manufacturing. However, one industry that poses a health risk that may be downplayed or outright ignored is that of railroad maintenance workers. Here’s what you need to know about the risks for those with a history in railroad maintenance related to asbestos exposure.

Si cree que estuvo expuesto al asbesto, incluso cuando era niño, hable con un proveedor de atención médica sobre pruebas y exámenes para ayudar a diagnosticar cicatrices pulmonares y detectar enfermedades relacionadas con enfermedades relacionadas con el asbesto.

The Industry Uses of Asbestos

Asbestos is a fascinating material, or rather, mineral. The term refers to a group of minerals that are divided into two main groups: serpentine and amphibole. These names refer to the shape of their fibers, with serpentine fibers taking the shape of curls and amphibole fibers having a straight or needle-like shape. Among these two groups of asbestos, there are six main types that are further distinguished by their color and fiber features. These are known as chrysotile, amosite, crocidolite, anthophyllite, tremolite, and actinolite.

An Indestructible Material?

Since all of these asbestos varieties are distinct, they each have specific applications for use that might work best for some and not others. But what is it that makes this naturally occurring mineral relevant for industrial use? The answer is, asbestos is incredibly durable. In fact, the meaning of asbestos in ancient Greece conveys the idea of indestructibility. While asbestos is not indestructible, it is incredibly durable. Among its durability features, asbestos is resistant to things like heat and fire, corrosion and electricity, and even sound.

Asbestos Applications

Because of this impressive range of durability qualities, asbestos has a rich history of use as a protection and strengthening agent. When considered especially in the context of construction and manufacturing, asbestos was used in everything from cement to roof shingles, paint, insulation, and piping. This not only applies to residential homes, but also to all varieties of industrial sites: refineries, foundries, shipyards, factories, and manufacturing plants. In short, asbestos made up the A-Z of the construction process.

Asbestos Use in Railroad Maintenance

It may seem unclear exactly how asbestos relates to railroad maintenance. The fact is, there is a wide range of places where asbestos can be found in this industry. Railroad maintenance workers are largely responsible for maintaining the equipment and engines of locomotives, but maintenance can also include everything from carpentry, upholstery and even painting work.

When we think about the widespread use and presence of asbestos in various industrial processes, it is easier to understand what makes railroad maintenance a prime source of danger. For one, the actual parts and equipment that are repaired in this vocation include materiales que contienen asbesto, especially in the case of materials used before the mid-1980s when the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) began banning these materials and replacing them with alternatives to asbestos.

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Railroad Maintenance Materials

Gaskets used in engine assemblies, paint, spray-on coatings, and a wide range of other industrial applications of asbestos were widespread prior to the 1980s. In fact, most industrial machinery prior to the 1980s was frequently spray-coated with asbestos heat treatment for fire-proofing purposes, due to the high temperatures railroad machinery was exposed to.

Railroad Maintenance Facilities

Besides the actual components and materials used in railroad maintenance that may contain asbestos, the occupational risk of exposure also includes the facilities and shops that railroad maintenance workers use. In the case of maintenance being performed on-site, locomotives could contain asbestos in piping, insulation, flooring, and various other places. In the case of maintenance being performed in an industrial facility, the same risk of asbestos is present, since those facilities built before the mid-1980s had widespread uses of asbestos throughout their construction.

“La evidencia general sugiere que no existe un nivel seguro de exposición al asbesto”. no hay nivel seguro de exposición al asbesto."

Fuente: Instituto Nacional del Cáncer (NIH)¹

Image Asbestos Railroad Maintenance article body

Health Risks of Asbestos Exposure

For railroad maintenance workers exposed to asbestos, the results may not be readily apparent. One reason for this is that asbestos fibers are microscopic; they cannot be seen by the naked eye. Beyond that, asbestos fibers do not have any taste or smell. This means that there is no way to “sense” asbestos. Because of this, railroad maintenance workers could be exposed to asbestos fibers on a daily basis, without any notice.

“Algunas fibras de asbesto pueden pasar por alto... las defensas naturales de su cuerpo... y alojarse en lo profundo de sus pulmones. Esas fibras pueden permanecer en su lugar durante mucho tiempo y es posible que nunca se eliminen”.

Fuente: Asociación Americana del Pulmón

What’s more, the risk of secondary exposure exists for those who lived with someone that worked with or around asbestos. Examples of this include railroad workers who unknowingly take home tiny asbestos fibers on their clothing or tools and expose their family members to them. As their clothes are washed or exposed to HVAC, the fibers are spread throughout the home, unknowingly putting others at risk.

“Por lo general, quienes desarrollan enfermedades relacionadas con el asbesto no muestran signos de enfermedad durante mucho tiempo después de la exposición”.

Fuente: Instituto Nacional del Cáncer (NIH)²

Asbestos Latency

This danger of exposure is not only concerning because of the absence of taste or smell to when exposed to asbestos fibers but that the symptoms of exposure to asbestos often take decades to appear. In other words, many railroad maintenance workers have no idea that they have been exposed to asbestos in the past and only discover that they have when they are diagnosed with cancer or a severe illness decades later. Of these various health effects caused by asbestos fibers making their way into the body, some of the more common examples include mesotelioma, enfermedades pulmonares, laryngeal cancer, and much more.

Health Concerns

All varieties of asbestos diseases can be life-threatening or at the very least, lead to a debilitating quality of life. Because of this, it is important to take action right away if you suspect that you or someone you know has been exposed to asbestos as a result of working in the railroad maintenance industry. Reaching out to your healthcare provider right away to determine whether asbestos fibers are present in your body is one of the most important first steps to take. Doing this can secure you with the time and financial resources you need to receive treatment.

Las personas que trabajaron en estas industrias antes de mediados de la década de 1980 tienen un mayor riesgo de desarrollar enfermedades relacionadas con el asbesto:

Construcción	Fábricas	Fundiciones	Refinerías	Astilleros	Minería / Molienda
Demolición	Aislamiento	Trabajadores del acero	Instalación de tuberías	Construcción naval	Mecánicos
Techumbre	Textiles	Trabajadores del hierro	Calderas	Extinción de incendios	Reparación de frenos
Piso	Cemento	Electricistas	Reparación de juntas	Ferrocarril	Climatización

Desafortunadamente también lo hacen sus familias.

Claims for Railroad Workers

The good news is, there are various legal options available for those who have suffered from asbestos exposure in the railroad maintenance industry. One example of this is the Federal Employers Liability Act (FELA) which helps railroad workers receive compensation due to asbestos exposure from railroad sources such as boilers, machinery insulation, and gaskets. Some of the more common job titles for those who have already received compensation include railyard engineers, yardmasters, conductors, dispatchers, inspectors, machinists, and much more. In the case of qualifying for FELA compensation, the lawsuit must be filed without three years of an asbestos injury.

Más de $ 30 mil millones todavía están disponibles
_{(sin una demanda).}

Haga su reclamo.

Alternatives to Lawsuit Compensation

However, there are other types of compensation available that may not require filing a lawsuit at all. One of the fastest and easiest examples of compensation includes receiving money from fideicomisos de asbesto. These are the result of companies and insurers setting money aside in order to settle cases outside of court. Currently, around 40% or nearly $30 billion in trust funds remain unclaimed by those who are entitled to them.

While various types of asbestos trusts exist with their own requirements for qualification, there are various trust funds that have been created specifically for railroad maintenance workers. Examples of this include Compañia Fibreboard, Corporación Yarway, Ingeniería de combustión, Tecnologías de sellado de Garlock, and many more.

Speak With an Asbestos Claims Attorney

While sifting through this information can feel overwhelming, it is important to know that Asbestos Claims attorneys are dedicated to helping you each step of the way by helping you determine which method of compensation is best for you and guiding you through the entire application process. Best of all, they only get paid once you receive and cash your compensation check, so there is no risk involved. If you or someone you know has been diagnosed with an asbestos-related illness and are worried about how to pay for the necessary treatments, you may be entitled to compensation. Reach out today to get the help you need.

AsbestosClaims.Law

Para Justinian C. Lane, obtener una indemnización por las víctimas del asbesto es algo personal.

Los abuelos de Justiniano y su padre trabajaron con asbesto en su juventud y murieron de cánceres relacionados con el asbesto en sus últimos años.

En el momento de cada una de sus muertes, nadie en la familia de Justiniano sabía que eran elegibles para presentar una demanda por asbesto y buscar una compensación de los fideicomisos de asbesto.

Debido a que nadie en la familia de Justiniano conocía sus opciones, nunca recibieron compensación alguna por la muerte de sus seres queridos.

Si cree que su lesión o la de su familiar estuvo relacionada con la exposición al asbesto, podría tener derecho a una compensación significativa.

Este es dinero que podría usar para cubrir los costos de los servicios de remoción de asbesto, pagar el tratamiento médico y proteger de manera preventiva su bienestar físico.

También hay fideicomisos de asbesto que ofrecen compensación mucho más rápida y fácilmente (sin presentar una demanda).

Si desea ayuda para presentar un reclamo, ponerse en contacto por correo electrónico a [email protected] o llámenos o envíenos un mensaje de texto al (833) 4-ASBESTOS (427-2378) o (206) 455-9190. Escucharemos su historia y le explicaremos sus opciones. Y nunca cobramos por nada a menos que reciba dinero en su bolsillo.

Además de demandas legales, discapacidad de veteranos, seguridad social y protección del empleo como compensación de trabajadores, FELA y La ley de Jones para los trabajadores marítimos, hay fideicomisos de asbesto que se han establecido para indemnizar a los perjudicados por el asbesto sin tener que presentar una demanda.

No hay riesgo ni costo para hablar con uno de nuestro personal sobre su litigio de asbesto. No hay cargos a menos que reciba dinero.

Si tiene preguntas o inquietudes adicionales relacionadas con el asbesto, visite nuestro sitio web y página de YouTube para ver videos, infografías y respuestas a sus preguntas sobre el asbesto, incluida la salud y la seguridad, prueba de asbesto, la eliminación del asbesto de su hogar y edificio, y información legal sobre la compensación por lesiones de asbesto.

Presentamos la base de datos de información sobre asbesto más grande del planeta.

W.A.R.D., que significa Worldwide Asbestos Research Database, ayuda a los clientes a reducir cuándo y dónde pueden haber estado expuestos, así como qué productos aún pueden contener asbesto.WARD también ayudará a indicar los tipos de compensación ya cuánto puede tener derecho una persona.

1 Instituto Nacional del Cáncer (NIH) Hoja informativa sobre asbesto.
2 Instituto Nacional del Cáncer (NIH), Hoja informativa sobre asbesto.