Mesothelioma Lawyers Blog
Unwitting exposure to asbestos over the last 100 years has given way to an ongoing proliferation of untimely deaths resulting from mesothelioma and asbestos, which developed as a direct result of exposure to the killer microscopic fibers.
Our Boston mesothelioma lawyers know this is true for Massachusetts, throughout the country and even across the globe.
The illness are no longer mysterious and the long-running manufacture cover-ups are no longer secret. However, that companies, employers and schools, even knowing these risks, would continue to put people in harm’s way or fail to enact measures to protect them is unforgivable.
The fact that one of the most recent reports of this occurring involved students just further exacerbates all of this.
In the United Kingdom, The Guardian is reporting that just last year, some 17,000 university students slept in dorm bedrooms that contained asbestos. It appears none of the students were told of the presence of the material, which was contained in everything from their ceiling to floor tiles to caulking.
The revelation came amid an investigation by the Guardian, which inquired as to the asbestos contents of some 88 universities throughout the country. They received confirmation from 38 of those that asbestos was indeed present in student living quarters.
Representatives of a number of those universities contend that whatever asbestos material remains in the rooms is totally sealed and safe and is in compliance with all federal statutory requirements regarding maintenance. Others insisted that systems are in place to ensure any damage in individual units are dealt with promptly.
Generally, it’s true that if asbestos is left undamaged and undisturbed, it probably won’t cause any serious health risk to those in the nearby vicinity. However, universities and dorm rooms are among those locations that tend to receive a lot of traffic, and therefore wear and tear. A failure to warn students of the presence of these deadly fibers might mean reporting certain damages could take a back seat to other priorities.
Students are also told that they could be held responsible with a fine for certain types of damages. This could potentially result in do-it-yourself fixes that put not only that student at risk but everyone else who comes in contact with that room.
For many years in the U.K. as well as in the U.S., asbestos was heavily used for everything from insulation to fireproofing in business construction. While the U.K. banned the substance in 2000 (whereas the U.S. has yet to do so), many structures still contain those fibers.
It’s been well-documented that many schools – from kindergarten through the university level – contain this substance as well. Some 88 schools in the Chicago school district, for example, just underwent major asbestos removal renovations over the summer, as the district prepares for the closure of some 50 schools, where former students will be absorbed into other facilities.
If you or a loved one is diagnosed with mesothelioma in Boston, call for a free and confidential appointment at (617) 777-7777.
Additional Resources:
Students are sleeping in bedrooms that contain asbestos, Aug. 27, 2013, By Martin Williams, The Guardian
More Blog Entries:
Massachusetts Worker Asbestos Exposure Prompts Demands for AG Inquest, Aug. 11, 2013, Massachusetts Asbestos Injury Lawyer Blog