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Volver al Blog de AsbestosBefore the modern era of asbestos being synonymous with words like deadly, this mineral was more closely associated with positive words, such as popular, useable, and plentiful, spanning various countries as well as a multi-thousand-year history of use. Unfortunately, this rich history of asbestos use has come with a high cost of poor health effects for those who have been exposed to this natural mineral in its various forms. Among those who have been exposed and may be at risk are steel mill workers. If you or someone you know have worked in the steel mill industry, here’s what you need to know about asbestos exposure risks.
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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.
Steel Mill Workers and the Risks of Asbestos Exposure
Según los United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, steel, and structural ironworkers are involved with raising, placing, and uniting iron and steel girders, columns, and structural frameworks. Prefabricated metal buildings and metal storage tanks are also part of this industry. However, there is also an entire industry of steel mill workers who are involved in the actual production of steel- those who are involved in melting, molding, and forming iron. These workers are frequently involved in utilizing furnaces, rolling and finishing machines, and various other equipment.
As of May 2022, steel workers in the United States are the most prevalent in coastal states such as Florida, California, and Washington, as well as the most well-known area of United States manufacturing, the “rust belt” region, including Michigan, Ohio, and Pennsylvania, among others. As many know, even the Pittsburgh Steelers football team in America, founded in 1933, received a name change from the Pirates to the Steelers in 1940, in order to identify the team with the strong presence of the steel mill industry in that city.
“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 |
Why Asbestos Was Used in Steel Mill Facilities and Products
Going back to what we said earlier about the popularity and availability of asbestos, the way that asbestos made its way into the steel mill industry is easy to understand. Serpentine and amphibole asbestos, the two main groups of asbestos, can be categorized into six main types, based on their color and fiber shape: chrysotile, amosite, crocidolite, anthophyllite, tremolite, and actinolite.
“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 |
Colors, Shapes, and Types of Asbestos
Not only do these different colors and fiber shapes help to differentiate one type of asbestos from another, but they also help determine which type of asbestos is best for different industry applications. For example, some varieties of asbestos are better for insulation products, whereas others are good for spray-on coating applications. But what is the benefit of using asbestos in different products and manufacturing processes? The main answer to this has to do with the durability of asbestos. Asbestos is resistant to many things that other materials are quite susceptible to, such as corrosion, heat and fire, water solubility, and electrical conductivity. Because of the different forms of asbestos, it can easily be sprayed onto other materials as a protective coating, or woven into materials to increase strength and resistance properties. Effectively, asbestos gave impressive properties to other materials- and all in a relatively inexpensive process.
Why Asbestos Exposure before 1989 is Probable
Due to this approach to using asbestos, it became a main staple in most factories, shipyards, foundries, and refineries- not to mention residential and military sites as well. Effectively, most worksites at the height of asbestos use, before the Environmental Protection Agency banned most uses in 1989, contained asbestos throughout their facility. Exposición ocupacional was not only possible, but it was also virtually guaranteed.
The risks of asbestos exposure to steel mill workers can include:
| Mesotelioma: Cáncer del mesotelio, la capa delgada de tejido que rodea los órganos del cuerpo. Solo se sabe que este cáncer es causado por la exposición al asbesto. | Cáncer de pulmón |
| Cáncer de laringe: Cáncer de laringe (sección de la garganta llamada laringe) | Cáncer de ovarios |
| Cáncer de estómago | Cáncer de colón |
| Cáncer de faringe | La Asbestosis: una enfermedad pulmonar crónica asociada a la exposición al asbesto |
| Enfermedad Pulmonar Obstructiva Crónica (EPOC) | Atelectasia (collapsed lung) |
| Derrame pleural (acumulación de líquido alrededor de los pulmones) | Derrame pericárdico (acumulación de líquido alrededor del corazón) |
Asbestos Exposure Risks for Steel Mill Workers
But what made asbestos exposure such a danger was not simply the prevalence of asbestos, but the fact that most people were unaware of the hazards of asbestos exposure. Workers were not warned by their employers of this risk, nor were they given adequate training or protective equipment to shield themselves from exposure.
What’s more, being exposed to asbestos is not an experience that can be easily identified by our senses. For one, asbestos has no taste or smell. Second, harmful asbestos fibers are microscopicas to the naked eye. Third, asbestos exposure symptoms often take decades to begin appearing. This is known as the latencia of asbestos and is part of the reason why those who worked in the steel mill industry prior to 1989 should be especially aware of the risks. Most latency time frames can take between 30 and upwards of 40 years for symptoms to begin appearing, meaning that those who were active during or before 1989 may be unaware of the connection that exists between newly experienced diseases or cancers and their prior career in the steel mill industry.
“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 |
Where the Risks of Asbestos Exposure Exist for Steel Mill Workers
There are really two things that should be considered when it comes to asbestos exposure risks for steel mill workers.
Asbestos in the Manufacturing Process
The first has to do with the immediate use of asbestos as an insulation material during the steel manufacturing process. As mentioned earlier, steel mills are places of excessive heat, and the machinery used has to be well-insulated to protect from heat and fire damage. Insulation of all types was commonly made with asbestos-containing materials because of how effective it was, plus it added the often overlooked quality of sound-dampening.
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BÚSQUEDA GRATUITA >Asbestos in Facility Construction
Secondly, steel mills, as industrial facilities, were layered with asbestos. This applies from the roof shingles all the way down to the cement foundation and most walls and piping systems throughout the building structure. Asbestos was simply a material that checked all the boxes so it was used in the day-to-day operations of facilities, as well as the structure of the facilities themselves.
Even after the EPA ban in 1989, while the facilities began replacing the materiales que contienen asbesto used in their production process, this still didn’t solve the issue of working in facilities that were constructed with asbestos. That point makes contemporary workers in the steel mill industry remain at risk, especially as these older buildings begin to undergo damage that makes asbestos fibers friable, such as mold, water, and structural damage.
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.
Legal Options and Compensation for Steel Mill Workers’ Asbestos Claims
The good news is, there are compensation options available for you if you have been exposed to asbestos and have contracted a disease or illness as a result. Even if you were a child or spouse of a steel mill worker, you may be entitled to compensation if you were exposed to asbestos from work clothing or tools that transferred asbestos fibers from the workplace and into your home. This is known as secondhand or secondary asbestos exposure.
The Speed and Ease of Trusts for Compensation
While asbestos claims come in different varieties, fideicomisos de asbesto are the easiest and often fastest way to receive compensation without the need to file a lawsuit and appear in court. This is because asbestos trusts are made of funds set aside by the industry to pay for asbestos victims. There are billions of dollars in unused asbestos trusts to date, with many of them related specifically to steel mill companies and others related to construcción in general.
Más de $ 30 mil millones todavía están disponibles (sin demandas. Sin tarifas a menos que reciba dinero. Sin riesgos). Haga su reclamo.  |
Don’t Wait, Reach Out to An Asbestos Claims Attorney Today
Getting in touch with an asbestos claims attorney is the best way to determine what kind of compensation you may be entitled to, and they can help you each step of the way. Best of all, an asbestos attorney won’t charge you a single penny unless you receive your compensation check, so there’s no risk involved.
AsbestosClaims.Law
Asbestos claims aren’t just a day in the office for Justinian C. Lane.
Son una misión.
En el pasado, los trabajadores expuestos al asbesto no sabían acerca de los peligros de la exposición al asbesto. Entre esos trabajadores estaban los abuelos de Justinian y su propio padre.
Desafortunadamente, también se les mantuvo en la oscuridad acerca de las opciones de compensación disponibles para ellos, como las demandas por asbesto y los fondos fiduciarios. En sus últimos años, murieron de cánceres relacionados con el asbesto.
Debido a que nadie en la familia de Justiniano conocía sus opciones, nunca recibieron compensación alguna por la muerte de sus seres queridos.
Hoy, estamos trabajando para cambiar el rumbo.
Puede haber una compensación significativa disponible para usted si ha contraído una enfermedad o lesión relacionada con el asbesto. Esto incluye tanto a los trabajadores como a los miembros de la familia que han estado expuestos.
La compensación es su clave para recibir el tratamiento médico que necesita, financiar los servicios de remoción de asbesto y mantener su bienestar físico.
¿Quiere conocer una de las formas más rápidas y fáciles de recibir una compensación? Permítanos hablar con usted sobre las reclamaciones de fideicomiso de asbesto. Esta opción a menudo puede evitar demandas por completo.
Queremos escuchar su historia y, lo que es más importante, queremos redimirla.
¿Necesita ayuda para presentar un reclamo? No hay problema, puede enviarnos un correo electrónico a [email protected].
¿Prefieres hablar por teléfono? Simplemente llámenos o envíenos un mensaje de texto al (206) 455-9190.
No nos pagará ni un centavo a menos que reciba el dinero primero, por lo que no hay riesgo.
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.
Los peligros del asbesto solían ser un secreto guardado por la industria para evitar que personas como la familia de Justiniano sufrieran. Ya no. Te traemos la verdad.
Hemos creado numerosos recursos para ayudarlo a responder sus preguntas y brindarle la información que necesita saber y actuar.
Nuestro sitio web tiene una gran cantidad de información dedicada a cosas como la salud y la seguridad, prueba de asbesto, asbestos removal, y información legal sobre la compensación por lesiones de asbesto.
¿Eres un aprendiz visual? ¡Ningún problema!
Nuestro página de YouTube tiene infografías, una serie sobre la historia del asbesto y otros recursos útiles que puede consultar!
| ¿No está seguro de dónde o cuándo estuvo expuesto al asbesto? ¡Deja que WARD te ayude! La base de datos de investigación mundial sobre el asbesto (W.A.R.D) es la base de datos de información sobre el asbesto más grande, y punto. Si necesita respuestas relacionadas con ubicaciones específicas, productos o qué tipo de compensación puede estar disponible para usted debido a la exposición al asbesto, WARD es el lugar para comenzar. |
Trabajar con nosotros es libre de riesgos. A menos que reciba dinero de compensación, ¡NO HAY HONORARIOS! Háblenos sobre litigios de asbesto hoy.
1 Instituto Nacional del Cáncer (NIH) Hoja informativa sobre asbesto.
2 Instituto Nacional del Cáncer (NIH), Hoja informativa sobre asbesto.
