National Asbestos Awareness Week

Senate Resolution 462 designates the first week of April 2008 as National Asbestos Awareness Week. The proclamation urges public awareness about the prevalence of asbestos-related diseases and the dangers of asbestos exposure.

Asbestos, a know carcinogen, is still used in the US and has not been banned. "Asbestos" is a generic name given to a fibrous variety of six naturally occurring minerals that have been used for decades in the development of thousands of commercial products. The term "asbestos" is not a mineralogical definition but a commercial name given to a group of minerals that possess high tensile strength, flexibility, resistance to chemical and thermal degradation, and electrical resistance. These minerals have been used in many products, including insulation and fireproofing materials, automotive brakes and textile products, and cement and wallboard materials. It has recently been found in toys.

Asbestos exposure affects both workers and their families. The legacy of asbestos related disease continues: mesothelioma, lung cancer and asbestos medical conditions continue to be diagnosed. Litigation continues against the asbestos manufaturers, distributors and health research groups. Ill conceived legislation by the insurance industry failed to survive Congressional debate.

The Workers’ Compensation system continue to fail in delivering benefits to asbestos exposed workers due to latency and coverage issues complicated by bureaucratic nightmares. Hopefully, public awareness will draw attention to crafting a better system to deliver benefits to injured asbestos workers than the present workers’ compensation system crafted in 1911, decades before the disease become recognized as an occupational disease.