Secondary Asbestos Exposure as Deadly as Direct Contact

Secondary asbestos exposure is indirect contact, when a person did not work with the material but came in contact through another person or their environment. A common example leading to secondary exposure is handling and laundering clothes from a worker who had direct contact with asbestos

There are numerous documented cases of exposure leading to devastating diseases, such as mesothelioma. 

Attorneys with extensive experience and vast success in these cases, including Belluck Law Boston, are best equipped to obtain evidence as to the risks of secondary exposure and whether these were foreseeable to the company. 

They can further work to show the steps companies should have taken to prevent the occurrences. These professionals help identify the sources that put you at risk and determine a fair and reasonable compensation.

The Hidden Risks of Secondary Asbestos Exposure

Occupational asbestos exposure may lead to deadly diseases, including mesothelioma decades after the initial exposure. The airborne fibers land on a worker’s clothing, shoes, hair, and sin, resulting in the family members being subjected to secondhand exposure when their loved one returns home.

This is a leading cause of women’s exposure to the material. Wives and daughters of those with significant direct contact had a ten-fold increased risk for developing a devastating disease, such as mesothelioma according to the CDC. 

The highest rates from all occupations experiencing mesothelioma deaths among women were homemakers between 1999 and 2020. Visit – What Is Secondary Exposure to Asbestos and How Can You Prevent It? – to learn about secondary exposure to asbestos.

How Secondary Exposure Happens

Asbestos fibers are microscopic and lightweight, undetectable to the naked eye and unknowing carried from the workplace to a worker’s home. When left undisturbed, asbestos is virtually harmless. However, when disturbed, the fibers become airborne and spread throughout a work area. 

Aside from being ingested or inhaled, the fibers land on anything they encounter. When the worker arrives home and changes clothes, the fibers become active, circulating throughout the ventilation system. 

These are essentially indestructible, and most home air conditioning systems are unable to filter them due to their tiny size, allowing them to build up over time.These fibers can be transferred into a vehicle, on furnishings, and other locations where close friends or family members can inhale or ingest them. 

Those with the highest risk of mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases are family and close friends of workers in positions associated with heavy and direct asbestos exposure.

The most significant secondhand asbestos exposure occurred between the 1930s and the 1970s. Read here to learn the dangers of secondary asbestos exposure.

Clothing

Clothing is the most prevalent source of secondary exposure. Wives and sometimes daughters historically experienced exposure from shaking and laundering clothes. The fibers are often left behind in the washing machine or dryer to further contaminate other clothes, increasing the fiber concentration for everyone.

Personal contact

Those return home from work were met with hugs from loved ones. These family members were shrouded with an invisible cloud of asbestos dust each day. Kids likely sat on their parent’s lap until to share the day’s events. Some fibers likely stayed on the hair and skin even following a shower.

These fibers are released into the bed, exposing the spouse as they sleep. Loved ones most heavily exposed during this time period were those directly involved in laundering the clothing.

Automobiles 

In the time when asbestos exposure was common, families typically had one vehicle which those working outside the house used to drive each day. The asbestos fibers the individual was exposed to at work would be deposited in the vehicle for loved ones to inhale or ingest when riding in the auto. 

With the windows closed, ventilation would have been limited, and the concentration would have reached high levels.

Furnishings

When returning home after work, a worker can drop asbestos fibers on any furniture they sit on. The fibers become airborne when anyone uses the furniture causing loved ones to inhale or ingest fibers.

Occupations Presenting a Risk of Secondary Asbestos Exposure

There is no safe level when it comes to exposure to asbestos. While loved ones may be indirectly exposed and to lower levels compared to those carrying the fibers home, The International Journal of Environmental Research finds in a meta-analysis that these family members still have high concentrations of fibers in their lungs and lung tissue abnormalities associated with an increased risk for mesothelioma.

This analysis shows the mesothelioma risk from secondary exposure was likely among loved ones of workers in occupations, such as:

– Chemical plants

– Construction

– Power plants

– Roofing

– Vermiculite mining – Processing plants

– Floor tile laying

– Asbestos / talc / taconite mining

– Drywalling

– Factories

– Boilermakers

– Textile mills

– Shipyards

– Insulators

Mesothelioma is a latent disease that can take decades to develop. Loved ones dealing with secondhand exposure may still face a diagnosis in the future. While the material is not used in manufacturing or construction nowadays, many buildings and products still harbor asbestos.

This means those working in older buildings, factors, power plans, or on ships can still be exposed and can inadvertently carry the fibers home. Structures that containasbestos may release the deadly fibers when buildings are renovated, demolished, or otherwise destroyed. 

Those who work in the following occupations continue to face high risks of exposure and may still carry fibers secondhand to their loved ones.

– Electricians

– Firefighters

– Power plant workers

– Plumbers

– Construction workers

– Search and rescue workers

Final Thought

Those who lived with someone who worked in a high-risk occupation may have had significant exposure.

If you’ve been diagnosed with an asbestos-related lung cancer, such as mesothelioma, it’s important to seek legal counsel from a law firm with extensive mesothelioma litigation experience and a solid success rate like Belluck law in Boston.

Following a case assessment, a quality and qualified secondary asbestos attorney will address questions and concerns as you discuss moving forward with a potential lawsuit. Legal teams like Belluck Law LLP are dedicated to identifyingthe exposure source and obtaining the compensation you deserve.