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Mesothelioma Laws
Mesothelioma Laws are generally divided into two separate sides, the preventive laws and the compensation laws. Preventive laws as the name indicates relates to the employee exposure to asbestos while compensation laws related to dealing with patients who have already been diagnosed with Mesothelioma and how compensation for their illness. Even now new laws are being passed through congress regarding the compensation of asbestos victims. Provisions have been made for medical expenses, pain suffering, possible loss of future income and now even descendents compensation as well.
With over 1.3 million people in the US still exposed to asbestos in their work environment each year, the laws regulating the use of asbestos and also compensation for those made ill by its effects are getting tighter by the day. Employees in the building, construction, railroad, factory, automotive, and shipyard industry employees are all potential victims of asbestos related illness and are the people protected by mesothelioma and asbestos laws. Of all the workers mentioned earlier, construction workers have the highest risk of exposure to asbestos and thus are most protected in the eyes of the law.
Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has created a special council for the development and administration of mesothelioma and asbestos laws outlining the levels of asbestos control that is required of employers. The Mesothelioma law states that an employee cannot be exposed to levels of asbestos that exceed 0.1 fiber per cubic centimeter (f/cc) during an eight hour work day or one f/cc in any given thirty minute period. This is regarded as the “safe” level of exposure where anything above that would be considered dangerous and may cause Mesothelioma in the future.
In addition to the asbestos level exposure guideline, there are also many other guidelines which must be followed. These relate to exposure monitoring, regulated asbestos work areas, respiratory protection, clothing protection, hygiene facilities, and proper training for people who work with asbestos.
Another area of Mesothelioma law related to personal injury laws. The law states that if any victim is found to have developed Mesothelioma from a proven previous exposure to asbestos then the said victim can seek damages from the other party’s negligence. Victims have the legal right to recover damages for their pain and suffering, medical expenses, and loss of income from the manufacturers of asbestos containing products