Asbestos News Roundup: 5.26.11

May 26th, 2011. By LucyC

A roundup of recent asbestos-related news and information that you should be aware of. An ongoing list of asbestos hot spots from the Asbestos News Roundup archive appears on our asbestos map.

Asbestos Lawsuits

St. Clair, IL: A new asbestos claim has been filed in St. Clair County, by Richard and Barbara Jacobs, who allege that the 42 named defendants in their suit are responsible for Richard Jacobs developing lung cancer.

In their complaint, the Jacobs claim that Richard developed lung cancer following his exposure to asbestos-containing products throughout his career. Mr. Jacobs worked as a foreman at TRW Inc. Metals Division from 1957 until 1971, as a melting supervisor at Advance Casting from 1972 until 1973, as a foundry foreman from 1973 until 1974 and as a laborer at Teledyne Cast Products from 1974 until 1999.

The Jacobs claim that the defendants should have been aware of the harmful effects of asbestos, but failed to exercise reasonable care and caution for Richard Jacobs’s safety.

According to their complaint, Mr. Jacobs’ asbestos-related disease has left him disabled and disfigured. Further, the illness has resulted in the Jacobs’ incurring medical costs and Mr. Jacobs suffering great physical pain and mental anguish, the complaint states. Mr. Jacobs has also been prevented from pursuing his normal course of employment and, as a result, lost large sums of money that would have accrued to him, which, the suit claims, is a result of his asbestos-related illness.

Because of her husband’s disease, Barbara Jacobs claims she has lost her spouse’s companionship, society and services.

The Jacobs are seeking a judgment of more than $200,000, plus punitive and exemplary damages of more than $150,000, economic damages of more than $50,000, compensatory damages of more than $100,000 and punitive damages in an amount to punish the defendants for their misconduct.

Asbestos Hot Spots

Philadelphia, PA: A Philadelphia elementary school was evacuated because it tested for high levels of asbestos in May 2011. Students from Benjamin Franklin Elementary School were moved to a nearby building where they will hold classes until further testing is completed and school officials decide what to do with the school.

Testing was completed in April as part of routine testing, and officials say that it was the first time any part of their school had reported abnormally high levels of asbestos. The high levels were found in one of the school’s annex buildings. The annex was part of Pilgrim Baptist Church.

The school began using the church as an annex in 2003 and performed asbestos testing every six months. The recently conducted test was performed by the city’s Office of Environmental Management and Services and the Health and Welfare Fund of the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers. (mailwire.com)

Cincinnati, OH: A local developer is facing a $132,000 fine for allegedly disregarding asbestos safety issues during work at the former Jefferson Proving Grounds in southern Indiana. Dean Ford’s Lumber and Building Supply Company, the listed owner of the property at issue, has already received 16 citations for violating the health and safety regulations of the State Department of Labor.

Reportedly, The Indiana Department of Environmental Management has also cited Ford and a contractor, James Reed, for asbestos-related violations. According to a report by local12.com,

“State inspectors report that for many months or possibly years, Dean Ford and his employees exposed people who live and work on this property to highly dangerous chrysotile asbestos. The exposure stems from miles of asbestos wrapped pipe that was improperly removed. The asbestos covered pipe ran between and through buildings all around the property.” Local12.com reports that The Indiana Department of Labor found “Ford’s handymen used reciprocating saws to cut out…hot water pipes that were insulated with asbestos.” Worse, employees reportedly did not wear any type of respirator while doing the work nor were they issued with any protective clothing. They also swept up the dangerous dust using “straw brooms, dust pans and standard shop vac’s.”

Furthermore, state investigators found that owners of rental units on the property did not notify tenants about the possible existence of asbestos on site. The property contains both private residences and businesses.

State officials say some of the violations continued into April of this year even while Ford knew he was being investigated. Meanwhile, the number of people who may have been exposed to asbestos as a result of these actions is not known. (local12.com)

Asbestos Law

One of the biggest Occupational Health & Safety (OSHA) fines of the year, $1,247,400, has been issued this week to AMD Industries Inc. of Cicero, IL, in a Severe Violators Enforcement Program case involving “unprotected and untrained workers” assigned to remove asbestos, OSHA announced May 24. The citations signed by Gary J. Anderson, OSHA area director in Calumet City, IL, say the violations allegedly occurred from Nov. 29 through Dec. 10, 2010, at 4620 W. 19th St. in Cicero as the workers were conducting Class 1 asbestos abatement of pipe insulation and thermal system insulation that contained from 20 to 50 percent chrysotile asbestos.

The workers “were not protected from exposure by use of the following control methods: local exhaust ventilation, enclosure or isolation, and/or ventilation of the regulated area,” a respiratory protection program was not implemented, and a competent person was not supervising the work, the citations state. They state that asbestos-containing materials were cut with a reciprocating saw and collected with dry sweeping, which exposed the workers. They also state that the material was not disposed of in sealed, impermeable bags or closed and labeled containers.

OSHA said it conducted the inspection in response to a referral from the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, which also asked the Illinois Attorney General’s Office to take enforcement action to compel the proper removal, handling, and disposal of asbestos-containing material. (ohsonline.com)

Tags: Asbestos, Asbestos Mesothelioma, asbestos_mesothelioma

This was posted on Thursday, May 26th, 2011 at 3:37 pm and is filed under Asbestos Mesothelioma . Feel free to respond, or trackback. Read our comments policy.