Injury News

Pregnant women and children are at the highest risk for lead poisoning. Lead exposure can be harmful to young children and unborn babies. Lead crosses the placenta in the womb, and the child ingests the poison through fetal absorption. Those living in pre-1980 housing most likely have lead-based paint. Many infants and children often ingest paint chips or dust from lead based paint, which enters the blood stream and over time becomes toxic in the system.

In addition to women and children, there are a large number of people working in jobs that expose them to lead. Workers may ingest and inhale lead dust and fumes, as well as bring it from their job sites into their homes. Proper protection should be applied to lead exposed industries to prevent any health complications. It’s estimated that over one million workers are exposed to lead everyday at their jobs in industries like painting, construction and renovation, lead smelters, battery plants, auto repair, plumbing, and firing ranges.

Abdominal mesothelioma, also known as peritoneal mesothelioma, is one form of a rare asbestos-linked cancer, mesothelioma. The abdominal mesothelioma, as the name suggests, is a cancer of the tissues in the abdominal cavity. Abdominal mesothelioma generally affects men ages 50-70, although women make up about one-fifth of all abdominal mesothelioma cases.

Abdominal pains, abdominal weakness, weight loss, loss of appetite, nausea, and abdominal swelling are all abdominal mesothelioma symptoms. Patients exhibiting these symptoms are usually scheduled for further examinations to search for other abdominal mesothelioma signs. If an X-ray or CT scan indicates signs that the patient indeed may have abdominal mesothelioma, a biopsy is conducted, allowing the physician to determine the malignancy level. Any abdominal mesothelioma treatment will be determined by the physician and patient, taking into account the stage of the abdominal mesothelioma, the location and sizes of any tumors, and the age and health of the patient. Abdominal mesothelioma has a very high mortality rate, and in many cases, diagnosis occurs when the abdominal mesothelioma has already progressed too far. In such cases, all actions focus on making the abdominal mesothelioma as comfortable as possible, often removing portions of the tumor to relieve pressure.

Abdominal mesothelioma patients may be able to recover part or all of the costs of treating abdominal mesothelioma, due to its strong links to asbestos exposure.

High levels of manganese are found mostly in the steel making and welding industry. Exposure to dangerous levels of manganese may cause manganese-induced Parkinsonism, a disease with symptoms similar to Parkinson’s disease.

The disease affects the central nervous system, kidneys, and liver. Its most crippling effect is the permanent damage on the part of the brain that controls body movement, which results in diminished motor skills. Symptoms of the disease may appear several years after the exposure. The toxicity of manganese has been recognized since 1837 for its ability to affect the central nervous system, yet workers have been and continue to be exposed to the toxic fume emissions. Welders are especially at great risk as they breathe in toxic levels of manganese fumes on a regular basis. Over time, breathing these fumes causes permanent brain damage. Also, people who live near such factories can be exposed to manganese dust in the air or in their drinking water. Symptoms of Parkinsonism and manganism can include muscle stiffness, loss of balance, muscle aches and cramping, shakiness, tremors, distorted facial expression, difficulty walking, short-term memory loss, difficulty speaking, fine motor skill loss, and some men may become sterile.

Source: ABB

ABB said Monday that it has reached an agreement to reorganize Combustion Engineering (CE) and ABB Lummus Global to resolve the asbestos claims against both companies.

The amended agreement requires ABB to contribute an additional $232 million to the trust fund that will pay all outstanding asbestos claims. This contribution will be derived from the sale of ABB Lummus Global assets within two years of the plan’s effective date or by a direct contribution from ABB, the company said in a statement.

“I am pleased that the cooperative efforts of the parties involved have resulted in a commonly agreed proposal for an amended plan in this short period of time,” said Fred Kindle, ABB President and CEO. “This agreement is a vital step towards a final resolution of our asbestos issue.”

ABB said the parties intend to cooperate to produce an amended plan of reorganization expeditiously, with a view to prompt confirmation by the bankruptcy court.

Source: Environmental Working Group

At least 259 Texans died in 2002 from an asbestos-related disease, according to a new report on asbestos mortality by the Environmental Working Group. More than one third of the deaths in 2002 (103) were in Houston with 44, Beaumont with 34, and Dallas with 25.

The report, “A Slow Death in Texas,” is based on an analysis of new data from the National Center for Health Statistics of the federal government’s Centers for Disease Control. The data show that asbestos mortality in Texas is increasing, with a tripling of reported deaths since 1989.

Exposure to asbestos increases the risk of Mesothelioma, a rare cancer of the thin membranes lining the abdominal cavity and surrounding internal organs, and other asbestos-related diseases.

In a statement, EWG said this increase follows a national trend, where deaths from asbestos diseases nationwide are not expected to peak until sometime between 2015 and 2020.

From 1979 through 2002, at least 2,910 Texans died from an asbestos-related disease, placing Texas fifth in the nation for asbestos mortality during that time.

The report also comes in the wake of criminal indictments against asbestos producer, W.R. Grace. The indictment, handed down by a Montana grand jury on February 7, 2005, charges Grace with releasing asbestos dust in the community of Libby, Montana and concealing critical studies from the federal government.

The impact of the alleged criminal behavior by W.R. Grace extends well into Texas. EWG has calculated that at least 670,000 tons of W.R. Grace asbestos from Montana was shipped to Texas between 1963 and 1992.

Source: U.S. Department of Justice

The U.S. Department of Justice and the Environmental Protection Agency said today that a federal grand jury in the District of Montana has indicted W.R. Grace and seven current and former Grace executives for knowingly endangering residents of Libby, Montana, and concealing information about the health affects of its asbestos mining operations.

W.R. Grace and its executives, as far back as the 1970’s, attempted to conceal information about the adverse health effects of the company’s vermiculite mining operations and distribution of vermiculite in the Libby, Montana community, according to the indictment,. The defendants are also accused of obstructing the government’s cleanup efforts and wire fraud. To date, according to the indictment, approximately 1,200 residents of Libby area have been identified as suffering from some kind of asbestos-related abnormality.

“A human and environmental tragedy has occurred in Libby,” William W. Mercer, U.S. Attorney for the District of Montana, said. “This prosecution seeks to hold Grace and its executives responsible for the misconduct alleged.”

In addition to W.R. Grace, the indictment names as defendants Alan Stringer, Henry Eschenbach, Jack Wolter, William McCaig, Robert Bettacchi, O. Mario Favorito, and Robert Walsh, all current or former employees of W.R. Grace.

“This criminal indictment is intended to send a clear message: we will pursue corporations and senior managers who knowingly disregard environmental laws and jeopardize the health and welfare of the workers and the public,” Thomas V. Skinner, EPA’s acting Assistant Administrator for Enforcement and Compliance Assurance, said.

W.R. Grace operated a vermiculite mine in Libby, Montana from 1963 to 1990, as part of its Construction Products Division, which was headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Vermiculite was used in many common commercial products, including attic insulation, fireproofing materials, masonry fill, and as an additive to potting soils and fertilizers.

Asbestos is said to be one of the main industrial causes of cancer in the world. Exposure to asbestos increases the risk of Mesothelioma, a rare cancer of the thin membranes lining the abdominal cavity and surrounding internal organs, and other asbestos-related diseases.

The vermiculite deposits in Libby were contaminated with a form of asbestos called tremolite. Health studies on residents of the Libby area show increased incidence of many types of asbestos related disease, including a rate of lung cancer that is 30 percent higher than expected when compared with rates in other areas of Montana and the United States.

Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Asbestos deaths among U.S. residents have increased from fewer than 100 in 1968 to nearly 1,500 annually in 2000, with no apparent leveling off of this trend, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Thursday.

Between 1990 and 1999, there were more than 10,000 asbestos-related deaths and the annual asbestos death counts increased by one-third, the CDC said.

In 1998 and 1999, asbestos-related deaths outnumbered coal workers’ pneumoconiosis (black lung disease), which the CDC attributes to the decrease in the number of coal mine workers employed in the U.S.

Residents of California, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Texas, Florida, Washington, and Virginia together accounted for nearly half of all asbestos-related deaths between 1990 and 1999.

The CDC findings are based on analysis of death certificates of nearly 125,000 people who had lung conditions linked to inhaling dust or fibers from minerals.

Asbestos is the name given to a group of naturally occurring fibrous silicate minerals (amosite, chrysotile, crocidolite, tremolite, actinolite, and anthophyllite) that have been mined for their useful properties such as thermal insulation, chemical and thermal stability, and high tensile strength. All forms of asbestos are hazardous, and all can cause cancer.

Because of the qualities, asbestos has been used in a wide range of manufactured products, mostly in building materials, friction products, and heat-resistant fabrics. Asbestos can only be identified under a microscope.

Since asbestos fibers may cause harmful health effects in people who are exposed, the EPA has banned all new uses of asbestos in the United States.

Asbestos-related diseases may not appear until 30 to 50 years after exposure to asbestos.

Source: New York Times

Asbestos lawyers are filing more silicosis lawsuits on behalf of clients who claim they have suffered form exposure to silica, New York Times reported. Opponents, including a coalition of insurance companies, say there is no medical crisis.

Crystalline silica is highly purified quartz that is used to make glass, fiberglass, paints and ceramics, as well as in foundry casting. Silica is classified as a human lung carcinogen. Breathing silica dust can cause silicosis, a potentially disabling or fatal disease. Silicosis can also make exposed workers more susceptible to lung infections like tuberculosis.

Insurance companies assert lawyers are manipulating the justice system for financial gain by filing silicosis lawsuits on behalf of clients who have already filed asbestosis claims.

“This is about the plaintiffs’ bar trying to turn silica into the next asbestos,” said Mark A. Behrens, a lawyer in the Washington office of Shook, Hardy & Bacon, which is representing the insurers. “It is not there yet.”

But it is possible to suffer from both asbestosis and silicosis and people may file lawsuits involving both diseases.

Source: Occupational Safety & Health Administration

New OSHA health hazard information cards, Crystalline Silica Exposure, will help workers and employers understand more about how they can protect themselves against exposure to silica dust. Two separate cards, available in English and Spanish, provide a quick reference and recommendations for construction and general industries.

“Inhaling crystalline silica dust can be extremely dangerous and sometimes deadly,” said OSHA Administrator John Henshaw. “This card provides practical information on how to identify, reduce, and prevent exposure to silica dust.”

Silica exposure remains a serious threat to nearly two million U.S. workers. The most severe worker exposures can occur during abrasive blasting with sand. Other common exposures to silica dust can occur during the manufacturing of cement and brick; mixing or drilling concrete and mortar; and the manufacturing of china, ceramic and asphalt.

The new pocket-sized cards identify the symptoms of silicosis and the most common causes of occupational exposure. The cards also outline ways to protect against exposure to silica dust, including recommendations for appropriate use of respirators and personal protective equipment.

Crystalline silica is a basic component of soil, sand, granite, and many other materials. It is classified as a human lung carcinogen. Breathing silica dust can cause silicosis, a potentially disabling or fatal disease. Silicosis can also make exposed workers more susceptible to lung infections like tuberculosis.

OSHA’s permissible exposure limit (PEL) limits the maximum amount of crystalline silica that a worker can be exposed to during an eight-hour work shift. OSHA also requires hazard communication training for workers exposed to crystalline silica and a respirator protection program.