Republished from THE GAUGE March/April 2002  - http://www.oe148.org

WHAT EVERY LOCAL 148 MEMBER SHOULD KNOW ABOUT ASBESTOS DISEASE

Part I - Assessing the Risk

(Future articles will deal with medical diseases caused by asbestos and your legal rights)

Andrew O’Brien heads the O’Brien Law Firm in St. Louis, Missouri. He specializes in asbestos law and has handled numerous cases for Local 148 workers and their families involving mesothelioma, asbestos lung disease and asbestosis. He is a recipient of the Lon O. Hocker Award for .outstanding trial work. presented by the Missouri Bar Foundation.

Over the last ten years, I have handled nearly 100 cases of asbestos disease affecting Local 148
members. In all of these cases, asbestos has diminished the quality of life.impairing breathing and causing intense pain or discomfort. In more than a dozen cases, Local 148 members have died of mesothelioma and asbestos-related lung cancer.

These are high numbers for a workforce of this size, and you, as a Local 148 member, rightly should want to know all you can about the dangers of asbestos exposure. Fortunately, you have an active and knowledgeable local union that strives to keep you informed and to protect you from
asbestos hazards. Your union has demanded and won safeguards against asbestos exposure, it encourages calling in OSHA where violations are suspected, and it consistently seeks to reinforce education about asbestos.

Today Local 148 members working in power plants have stringent procedures in place for working around asbestos, and union employees as well as company personnel receive formal training in the handling of hazardous materials.

Thus, much of the information that follows in this article you may already know. I hope this is
the case. But if there is any information that is new to you, that helps you understand asbestos a
little bit more, then the time you spend reading this article will be worthwhile. Keep in mind that a
workforce is never static. New employees are hired, and some workers may transfer to the power
plants from other areas. Education is an ongoing process. Also, we need to consider that all of us, including our family members and friends, have some potential for exposure, even though we may not be employed in a high-risk occupation. I encourage you to share this article with others.
With that introduction, let's review some of the basics about asbestos and assess the risks we
face.

WHAT MAKES ASBESTOS DANGEROUS?

Asbestos is a mineral that is abundant, cheap to mine and extremely heat and flame resistant.
It is also nearly indestructible. These qualities made asbestos an excellent choice for insulating
boilers, piping, and furnaces and for hundreds of other uses where protection from heat or flame is needed. Asbestos has even been used in baby bottle warmers. The problem with asbestos is that it has a peculiar trait. Unlike other minerals, it does not turn to dust when crushed or broken; instead, it turns into tiny fibers that are invisible to the naked eye. These fibers are so small that they float in the air for long periods, where they can be inhaled or swallowed. They can easily lodge in our lungs, throat and stomach. Once inside our bodies, they can cause asbestosis, lung disease and mesothelioma.

WHO IS AT HIGHEST RISK?

Anyone who has had repeated or prolonged exposure to asbestos is at risk of developing an asbestos disease. But just because you have been exposed does not mean you will definitely develop a disease. Some people do; others do not.

The medical community does not know why this is so. Although asbestos disease may take as long as 45 years to develop, some people develop the disease in as little as 15 years. Thus, a person who begins their career at age 21 could conceivably suffer an asbestos disease by age 36. Most of the cases I have handled have involved retired workers. But some active workers also have been diagnosed. And I also see some cases where middle-age Local 148 family members have contracted mesothelioma or lung cancer. It would be wrong to think that asbestos disease only affects older, retired workers.

Those of us who specialize in asbestos cases.both in the legal and the medical professions.are
very much aware that some occupational groups have a much higher incidence of asbestos disease than other work groups. Construction trades, asbestos manufacturing workers, and power plant employees are among the highrisk groups. All of these occupations regularly work around asbestos.

OTHERS AT RISK

Even people who do not work around asbestos may become exposed. There is documented evidence, for example, of an asbestos worker's wife contracting mesothelioma, the deadliest of asbestos diseases simply by handling the work clothes of her husband. Essentially, there is no
known safe level of exposure to asbestos.

The thing to remember about asbestos is that there are literally millions of tons of it in the United
States. It's in our industrial plants, our office buildings and our schools. In most cases, it does not
pose a hazard, because it is encased in other materials. However, should that material become
crushed or broken, the asbestos can easily be released into the air.

That is exactly what happened during the collapse of the World Trade Center on September 11,
2001. The asbestos used as insulation around steel beams and other structural material was released as the buildings crashed to the ground. Those firefighters and others who dug for months in the rubble of "ground zero," as well as those living and working near the collapsed buildings, were exposed to asbestos for a prolonged period. Many of these people will undoubtedly suffer tragically from asbestos diseases in years to come.

POWER PLANT RISK FACTORS

Because power plants generate lots of heat, asbestos has been used heavily in them. This is true mainly in older plants that were built before the dangers of asbestos exposure were revealed. Asbestos companies and major industry groups were aware of the dangers asbestos posed but continued to use asbestos products and concealed vitally important information from workers, their families and the public.

It was common to wrap steam pipes with asbestos cloth pipe covering, insulate boilers with asbestos tiling or blocks and spray asbestos insulation on boilers, turbines, walls, ceilings and roofing. Although some remediation (removal of asbestos) has taken place, in many instances power plants remain potentially dangerous worksites because of the high levels of asbestos still in place.

Workers who repair steam pipes, boilers, pumps or related equipment may fracture asbestos-
containing material, releasing dangerous fibers into the air. Some asbestos, especially sprayed-on insulation, may become crumbly to the touch (a condition called "friable") and can be released into the air without significant force.

Ruptures, explosions, and other accidents also can release asbestos. In many of the plants where Local 148 members work today, asbestos is still present. The danger remains. Should you have contact with asbestos on the job, even in relatively small amounts, your health and your life may be put at risk. The more information you have, the better able you will be to protect yourself and your coworkers from a potential tragedy.

I urge every member employed in a power plant to follow established safety procedures religiously when working with or near asbestos. Never shortcut a procedure. If you have any questions or concerns about working around asbestos, seek the advice of your safety representative or the union office.

If you or someone you know has been diagnosed with an asbestos disease, seek competent legal advice immediately. Compensation from asbestos manufacturers may be available, but most states The O'Brien Law Firm is a recognized legal services provider for IUOE Local 148 specializing in asbestos disease.

You can reach us at 314-588-0558 or toll free at 866-588-0558. Remember, if you have been diagnosed with mesothelioma or asbestos lung cancer, call us immediately.

For additional information about the O'Brien Law Firm, follow the link from the Local 148 web site or go directly to our web site at:

www.obrienlawfirm.com.