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Global Asbestos Awareness Week: Kick Off
Apr 2, 2012
2012 marks the eight year for Asbestos Awareness Week. Thanks to the efforts of hard-working organizations, like the Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization (ADAO), asbestos awareness has been growing. And people have been fighting back. But despite all of the progress that has been made, more work needs to be done. Asbestos is still not banned in the United States. Asbestos is still being mined and exported from Canada, though the country has banned its use at home. India continues to import and use high amounts of asbestos. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), hundreds of millions of people around the world are still exposed to asbestos through their jobs. And with the material‟s continued use, people will continue to suffer from asbestos diseases, such as mesothelioma, in the coming decades. Throughout this week, we will be standing with ADAO to help raise asbestos awareness. We will be providing useful information to those suffering from asbestos diseases, their families and others who are interested in learning more about the asbestos health crisis, so check back every day this week for more information. You can also keep up with us through our Facebook page or Twitter account and join in the conversation. The mesothelioma law firm of Baron and Budd is a proud sponsor of the Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization (ADAO) and Asbestos Awareness Week. The firm has dedicated more than 30 years to protecting the rights of mesothelioma patients and their families. Global Asbestos Awareness Week: April 1: Candlelight Vigil and 7 Reasons for 7 Days April 2: Global Asbestos Awareness Week Launch April 3: Statement from the U.S. Surgeon General April 4: British Lung Foundation April 5: Workers Safety April 6: Landmark Italian Criminal Asbestos Trial April 7: Communication, Collaboration and Action from ADAO
Global Asbestos Awareness Week: U.S. Surgeon General
Apr 3, 2012
In 2009, the office of the U.S. Surgeon General urged every American to become more aware of the dangers of asbestos exposure and to take steps to protect their health. ADAO met with the Surgeon General on March 26. During their meeting, ADAO presented a compelling and education slideshow on the dangers of asbestos. You can view the slideshow here. In the U.S. alone, more than 10,000 people die each year from asbestos diseases, including mesothelioma cancer. Despite the proven medical link between asbestos and mesothelioma, banning the use of asbestos in the United States has been a difficult process. In the 1990s, many countries adopted bans on the use and importation of asbestos, except for the U.S. and Canada. Today, asbestos is banned in more than 55 countries, including all 25 nations in the European Union. Yet, the U.S. and Canada remain the only developed nations that have not passed a ban. Why no ban you ask? Well, there was one…sort of. In 1989, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued the Asbestos Ban and Phase Out Rule. However, seeing this as a serious threat to profits, some companies sued, and the rule was later overturned by the U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals in 1991. Despite this, a short list of asbestos products remain banned under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) and the Clean Air Act. These products include: Corrugated paper Rollboard Commercial paper Specialty paper Flooring felt New uses of asbestos As a result of the Asbestos Ban and Phase Out Rule being overturned, the following asbestos– containing products are not banned in the U.S.:
Asbestos-cement corrugated sheet Asbestos-cement flat sheet Asbestos clothing Pipeline wrap Roofing felt Vinyl-asbestos floor tile Asbestos-cement shingle Millboard Asbestos-cement pipe Automatic transmission components Clutch facings Friction materials Disc brake pads Drum brake linings Brake blocks Gaskets Non-roofing coatings Roof coatings Baron and Budd is a sponsor of Global Asbestos Awareness Week and a 2012 platinum sponsor the Asbestos Disease Awareness Organziation.
Baron and Budd Recognizes Global Asbestos Awareness Week 2012
Apr 3, 2012 DALLAS –(April 3, 2012) –The mesothelioma law firm of Baron and Budd is proud to join the Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization (ADAO) to recognize Global Asbestos Awareness Week 2012. Though many people think that asbestos is a thing of the past, the reality is that asbestos remains a current threat to people. The Environmental Information Association (EIA) reports that only 25 percent of countries have banned the use of asbestos worldwide and United States has not banned the use or import of asbestos. “Asbestos is truly an international public health crisis,” said John Langdoc, mesothelioma lawyer at Baron and Budd. “Hundreds of thousands of people throughout the world have suffered from asbestos cancers, such as mesothelioma, but the material continues to be used. Regardless of what the industry may say, all forms of asbestos are hazardous, there is no safe level of exposure to asbestos, and there is no such thing as the „responsible‟ use of asbestos. We stand with ADAO in calling for a global asbestos ban.” According to the World Health Organization (WHO), more than 107,000 people die each year from asbestos lung cancer, mesothelioma and asbestosis resulting from workplace exposure to asbestos. In the U.S. alone, approximately 3,000 people are diagnosed with mesothelioma each year. And according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), U.S. asbestos imports are increasing. While much of this asbestos is being used in construction products, such as roofing materials, a portion of it ends up in consumer products. Even though the asbestos industry knew that their products could kill, they hid the truth for decades and knowingly exposed countless people to asbestos in the name of profits. Even today, the industry continues to insist that chrysotile asbestos is “safe” to use. Chrysotile asbestos is still mined in many countries, including Canada, China and Brazil. Baron and Budd is a 2012 platinum sponsor of ADAO and is proud to support the organization‟s efforts to ban asbestos and protect future generations from this hazardous material. About Baron & Budd, P.C. The national mesothelioma law firm of Baron & Budd, P.C. has a more than 30-year history of “Protecting What‟s Right” for asbestos sufferers and their families. As one of the first law firms to successfully litigate an asbestos lawsuit, Baron & Budd continues to actively represent veterans, industry workers and others who are suffering as a result of exposure to asbestos. Baron & Budd achieved the largest mesothelioma verdict ever in the state of Texas, a $55 million verdict for an asbestos sufferer and his family in El Paso, Texas. Contact Baron and Budd at 1.866.855.1229 for additional information on mesothelioma treatments, mesothelioma cancer doctors and treatment centers and mesothelioma attorneys.
Global Asbestos Awareness Week: Do it Yourself and the Dangers of Asbestos in Your Home
Apr 4, 2012
Even in countries where asbestos use has been banned, like the U.K., the deadly material may be lurking in many buildings built before 1999. The British Lung Foundation has launched an asbestos awareness campaign in the U.K. called Take 5 and Stay Alive, which aims to educate people who enjoy “Do It Yourself” projects at home, and who might come into contact with asbestos through these projects. In the U.S., asbestos may be lurking in many buildings built prior to the 1980s, when heavier restrictions were placed on asbestos use in the U.S. Asbestos has been used in a variety of construction products, including attic insulation, ceilings, cement pipes, certain types of electrical wiring, tile floors, sheetrock and many other materials. Even today, asbestos continues to be used in certain construction products, such as roofing materials. That‟s why it‟s so important for homeowners to be aware of the dangers of asbestos in their home and to always properly test for asbestos when taking on a home renovation project, performing regular maintenance or cleaning up after severe weather. The Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization (ADAO) has an excellent diagram on their website that shows a few places asbestos might be found in your home. Check it out here. If you think materials in your home may contain asbestos, do not disturb the asbestos –even innocently scraping it off the ceiling could send it airborne. As long as the asbestos is left alone, it is safe, but if the asbestos is disturbed (such as by scrapping it, sanding it down, drilling into it, etc.), then that asbestos can be released into the air and ingested by people. When ingested, asbestos can cause very serious –and very deadly –asbestos diseases, such as mesothelioma and asbestos lung cancer. Be sure to consult asbestos professionals to have your home tested for asbestos and the material properly abated. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has excellent resources on asbestos in the home here.
Global Asbestos Awareness Week: Workers Safety
One of the most common ways people come into contact with asbestos is through their job. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), approximately 125 million people are exposed to asbestos at their workplace worldwide. And every year, more than 107,000 people die from asbestos lung cancer, mesothelioma and asbestosis due to occupational asbestos exposure. In the U.S., the deadly truth about asbestos has often been considered one of the largest industry cover-ups in history. Internal documents obtained from many asbestos companies through litigation have revealed that these companies knew about the serious health risks asbestos can cause in the early 20th century, but chose to hide the truth. By choosing profits over people, the asbestos companies caused the deaths of thousands of workers. In the U.S., workers were generally exposed to asbestos from the early 20th century up through the late 1970s. In many cases, workers were not told that they were being exposed to asbestos or that asbestos could cause serious health issues. Though many regulations have been put in place to curb the use of asbestos, the material is still not banned in the U.S. According to the United States Geological Survery (USGS), American asbestos imports are on the rise. In 2010, the U.S. imported approximately 820 metric tons of asbestos. Most of that asbestos was used in consumer products, such as roofing materials. Even today, workplace exposure to asbestos still occurs in the U.S. Many occupations are at risk for on-the-job asbestos exposure. Here is a quick list of high risk jobs (see full list here): Workers involved in the manufacture of asbestos products Asbestos mining and milling Construction trades (including insulators, sheet metal workers, electricians, plumbers, pipe fitters, and carpenters) Power plant workers Boilermakers Shipyard workers Firefighters Join our Facebook group to learn about this and other serious asbestos issues. The mesothelioma law firm of Baron and Budd is a proud sponsor of Global Asbestos Awareness Week and the Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization.
Global Asbestos Awareness Week: Landmark Italian Asbestos Criminal Trial
Apr 6, 2012
In what is being called “The Great Asbestos Trial” –and that is likely the largest asbestos trial ever –a three-judge panel in Turin, Italy found European billionaires Stephan Schmidheiny and Baron Luis de Cartier guilty for knowingly and deliberately failing to warn workers, their families and nearby residents about the health risks of asbestos. Schmidheiny and Cartier were sentenced to 16 years in prison and fined millions of euros. This is the first time that highranking corporate executives of a company that manufactures and produces asbestos have been found guilty of criminal charges because of the toxic exposure. Prosecutors in the trial say that the two shareholders of Swiss firm Eternit are responsible for the deaths of more than 2,000 workers in four towns in northern Italy where the company operated manufacturing plants. This trial is one of the largest environmental cases to ever come to trial in Europe and could set a precedent for international legal proceedings regarding asbestos exposure in the workplace. Approximately 6,000 former Eternit workers and local residents were seeking justice in the trial. Many of the workers and their families received compensation as part of the verdict. In fact, so many names were listed in the verdict that it took three hours to read the entire verdict. Families, attorneys and all others present stood for the duration of the entire verdict in honor of those who passed from Eternit‟s negligence. Linda Reinstein, mesothelioma widow and co-founder of the Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization (ADAO), served as an American delegate and representative of America asbestos victims throughout the trial. ADAO is an independent non-profit that speaks on behalf of asbestos victims worldwide. The organization is spearheading events and discussions during Global Asbestos Awareness Week 2012. Baron and Budd is a proud 2012 platinum sponsor of ADAO and stands with them in calling for an international asbestos ban.
Global Asbestos Awareness Week: Building a Culture of Prevention
Apr 7, 2012
The only way to “cure” mesothelioma is to stop all forms of asbestos exposure. In a perfect world, asbestos use would be banned everywhere, asbestos mining would stop, all buildings would be properly abated and asbestos would be properly clean up. But that‟s not the reality. The reality is that only around 55 countries have banned asbestos. The United States is not one of those countries. In fact, according to the Environmental Information Association (EIA), around 75 percent of countries have not banned asbestos. Asbestos is still being mined and exported from China, Brazil, Russia –and even Canada, though Canada has banned its use at home. (Side note: the Canadian government recently funded an asbestos abatement project in the capital buildings, yet they have no qualms about sending asbestos to other countries and, in fact, the government is trying to re-open asbestos mines in the province of Quebec.) The only reason this hidden killer continues to be perpetuated throughout the world is because of corporate greed. Numerous other materials can be used in place of asbestos that don‟t cause cancer –and the asbestos industry knew for decades before the public that asbestos can kill. There is no “safe” level of exposure to asbestos. There is no “responsible” way to use asbestos. There are no “safe” types of asbestos. Regardless of what the industry might say, all asbestos is bad. “Blue” asbestos kills. “White” asbestos (known as “chrysotile”) kills. The only way to protect future generations from mesothelioma and other asbestos diseases is to ban the use of asbestos everywhere. There needs to be more awareness about the horrible health risks of asbestos, and people need to understand that asbestos can still threaten their health –what you can‟t see can hurt you. That‟s why, at the close of Global Asbestos Awareness Week 2012, we are standing with the Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization (ADAO) in calling for a worldwide ban on asbestos: all asbestos, in every form, everywhere.
Baron and Budd, the mesothelioma law firm that sponsors this website, is a proud 2012 platinum sponsor of ADAO.
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