{"id":14646,"date":"2023-08-23T15:34:50","date_gmt":"2023-08-23T21:34:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.asbestosclaims.law\/?post_type=blog&p=14646"},"modified":"2023-11-17T12:48:03","modified_gmt":"2023-11-17T18:48:03","slug":"asbestos-and-sheet-metal-workers","status":"publish","type":"blog","link":"https:\/\/www.asbestosclaims.law\/es\/asbestos-blog\/asbestos-and-sheet-metal-workers\/","title":{"rendered":"Asbestos and Sheet Metal Workers"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The modern world was, in a great many ways, built atop asbestos.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We know today that asbestos is a potent carcinogen<\/a>, capable of causing illness up to and including cancer. However, the modern world was\u2014in a great many ways\u2014built atop asbestos. Once considered a \u201cmiracle mineral,\u201d asbestos was renowned for its innate strength and resilience. It was woven into fabric, employed as a fire retardant, and used to reinforce construction materials<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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If you believe that you were exposed to asbestos, even as a child, speak to a healthcare provider about tests and screening to help diagnose lung-scarring and screen for <\/strong>asbestos-related diseases<\/strong><\/a>.<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Asbestos helped build the industrial revolution (but it\u2019s still a problem).<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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During and after the advent of the Industrial Revolution, asbestos was widely used to meet unprecedented demand for safe, affordable housing. Asbestos was advertised as a convenient solution to age-old problems<\/a>, including out-of-control residential fires. Yet, in spite of its apparent advantages, medical scientists quickly began to suspect that asbestos exposure was associated with significant respiratory distress<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
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“The overall evidence suggests there is no safe level<\/span> of asbestos exposure<\/span>.\u201d<\/h3>\n                            
Source: National Cancer Institute\n<\/a> (NIH)1<\/sup><\/p>\n                        <\/td>\n                    <\/tr>\n                <\/tbody>\n            <\/table>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n\n
Asbestos Regulation came after millions of workers and their families were already exposed.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
By the time that the federal government began taking action against the asbestos industry<\/a>, it was already too late. Over the course of the 20th<\/sup> century, millions of hardworking American men and women were exposed to asbestos<\/a>\u2014in the workplace, at home, and even in school<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
While asbestos does not discriminate, some people are at higher risk for illness. Factory workers, shipbuilders, military veterans<\/a> all report above-average rates of asbestos-related conditions, including mesothelioma<\/a> and lung cancer<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Risks of Occupational Asbestos Exposure include Sheet Metal Workers.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Sheet metal workers are especially vulnerable to asbestos-related disease<\/a>, irrespective of their age or current employment status.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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\u201cSome asbestos fibers may bypass\u2026your body\u2019s natural defenses\u2026and lodge deep within your lungs. Those fibers can remain in place for a very long time and may never be removed.\u201d<\/h3>\n                            
Source: American Lung Association\n<\/a><\/p>\n                        <\/td>\n                    <\/tr>\n                <\/tbody>\n            <\/table>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n\n
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Sheet Metal Workers and Asbestos Exposure<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Sheet metal workers have a difficult job with a multitude of responsibilities, including the following: <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2022 Fabricating sheet metal; <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2022 Erecting sheet metal products; and <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2022 Installing sheet metal assemblies. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
People who were employed by the construction and sheet metal industries may have been exposed to asbestos through any of the following routes: <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2022 Asbestos-coated metals; <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2022 Asbestos-containing work materials, including heat- and flame-resistant gloves; <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2022 Manufacturing plant machinery; <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2022 Manufacturing plant electrical consoles; and <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2022 Assorted project-site asbestos-containing materials. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sheet metal workers were, historically, at high risk for asbestos exposure<\/a>, whether they worked in manufacturing plants, in small shops, or on home construction projects. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
However, even as the risk of exposure has declined in other industries, sheet metal workers remain unusually vulnerable to asbestos contaminants. In 2018, for instance, the federal Environmental Protection Agency proposed a new \u201csignificant use rule,\u201d or SNUR, that would allow companies to resume the manufacture and import of certain asbestos-containing materials<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
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\u201cGenerally, those who develop asbestos-related diseases show no signs of illness for a long time after exposure.\u201d<\/h3>\n                            
Source: National Cancer Institute\n<\/a> (NIH)2<\/sup><\/p>\n                        <\/td>\n                    <\/tr>\n                <\/tbody>\n            <\/table>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n\n
Materials potentially containing asbestos include, but are not limited to, the following<\/a>: <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\u2022 Adhesives, sealants, and roof coatings; <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2022 Cement products; <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2022 Millboards; <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2022 Pipeline wraps; and <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2022 Other building materials. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The health risks of asbestos exposure can include:<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Mesothelioma: <\/strong>cancer of the mesothelium, the thin layer of tissue surrounding the body\u2019s organs. This cancer is only known to be caused by asbestos exposure.<\/td>Lung cancer<\/strong><\/td><\/tr>
Laryngeal cancer:<\/strong> cancer of the larynx (section of the throat called the voicebox)<\/td>Ovarian cancer<\/strong><\/td><\/tr>
Stomach cancer<\/strong><\/strong><\/td>Colon cancer<\/strong><\/td><\/tr>
Pharyngeal cancer<\/strong><\/strong><\/td>Asbestosis<\/strong><\/a>:<\/strong> a chronic lung disease associated with asbestos exposure<\/td><\/tr>
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)<\/strong><\/strong><\/td>Atelectasis<\/strong> (collapsed lung)<\/td><\/tr>
Pleural effusion<\/strong> (collection of fluid around the lungs)<\/td>Pericardial effusion<\/strong> (collection of fluid around the heart)<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
The EPA, the Significant Use Rule, and Sheet Metal Workers<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
While the Environmental Protection Agency and industry lobbies<\/a> maintain that the revised SNUR does not rescind or otherwise relax existing asbestos-related restrictions, sheet metal workers have raised concerns<\/a> that this regulatory amendment could increase the chance that new asbestos products are brought onto modern worksites.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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