Asbestos Mesothelioma Archive

Asbestos News Roundup: 10.11.12 – Veterans Asbestos Risk

October 11th, 2012. By AbiK

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

US Veterans and Merchant Marines at Risk for Asbestos Disease

Beginning in the 1930s, nearly all ships built by the US Navy—including submarines—contained insulation or other machine parts containing asbestos. From that time, until the 1970s, when the US Navy stopped using asbestos in shipbuilding, thousands of US Navy Veterans and former Merchant Marines who served during World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War and other conflicts were exposed to harmful levels of asbestos, placing them at risk of developing mesothelioma, lung cancer, asbestosis or other asbestos diseases. Shipyard workers, boiler mechanics, electricians and pipefitters who handled asbestos products are also at risk of developing asbetsos-related diseases.

Because of the long latency period of the disease, it may take up to 30 years—or more—before Veterans who were exposed to asbestos begin to develop the first symptoms of mesothelioma or other asbestos related cancers.

Many Veterans who were exposed to asbestos during their time in the military have filed lawsuits against the companies who manufactured asbestos products and the equipment that utilized these products on board US Navy and Merchant Marine ships. In their lawsuits, the Veterans’ alleged they were not warned about the risks of asbestos exposure, even when the companies who manufactured these asbestos products were fully aware of the danger they posed. Both the lawsuit filed by James Mahan, and the settlement for William LaParl, below, are reminders of the reality of asbestos disease.

Asbestos Lawsuits

St. Clair County, IL: James Mahan has filed an asbestos lawsuit naming 48 defendant corporations, which he alleges should have known of the harmful effects of asbestos, but failed to exercise reasonable care and caution for his safety. As a result, Mahan claims the defendant companies caused him to develop lung cancer after his exposure to asbestos-containing products throughout his career.

In his lawsuit, Mahan states he was employed as a submarine maintenance worker from 1954 until 1957 and as a nursing assistant at the VA Hospital from 1958 until 1980. Between 1980 until 1983 he worked as a maintenance man for the North Little Rock Housing Authority. It was during his working life that he was exposed to asbestos-containing products.

As a result of his asbestos-related disease, Mahan has become disabled and disfigured, incurred medical costs and suffered great physical pain and mental anguish, the complaint says. In addition, he became prevented from pursuing his normal course of employment and, as a result, lost large sums of money that would have accrued to him, he alleges. (Madisonrecord.com)

St. Clair County, IL: Lynn Torres filed an asbestos lawsuit naming 33 defendant corporations, which, he alleges, caused him to develop lung cancer after his exposure to asbestos-containing products throughout his career.

According to his lawsuit, Torres worked as a welder at Kaiser Aluminum from 1966 until 1975 and at the Carpenters District Council for an unspecified amount of time. The lawsuit also contends that the defendants should have known of the harmful effects of asbestos, but failed to exercise reasonable care and caution for the plaintiff’s safety.

As a result of his asbestos-related disease, Torres became disabled and disfigured, incurred medical costs and suffered great physical pain and mental anguish, the complaint says. In addition, he became prevented from pursuing his normal course of employment and, as a result, lost large sums of money that would have accrued to him, he claims. (Madisonrecord.com)

Asbestos Settlements

Mt. Pleasant, SC: A $3.9 million jury’s verdict has been awarded to the family of deceased Merchant Marine, William LaParl of Michigan, who lost his life to asbestos mesothelioma.

On Friday, September 7, 2012, an eight-member jury found defendants Oglebay Norton Company, Columbia Transport Co., Interlake Steamship Company and Pringle Transit Company liable for “substantially contributing” to the death of William LaParl, who was 78 when he died in August 2006. Mr. LaParl retired from the Merchant Marines after 35 years of service and was diagnosed with mesothelioma in July 2006.

The suit alleged, among other claims, that negligence on the part of the defendants caused LaParl’s mesothelioma and ultimate death. The case, Delores A. LaParl, Personal Representative of the Estate of William S. LaParl, deceased v. Columbia Trans. Co., et al, No. CV-08-667485, was tried before Judge Harry Hanna in the Court of Common Pleas in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, Civil Division. (Redorbit.com)

Tags: Asbestos, Asbestos Exposure, asbestos lawsuit, Asbestos Mesothelioma, Asbestos Settlement
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Asbestos News Roundup: 10.4.12 – Auto Mechanic Asbestos Risk

October 4th, 2012. By LucyC

 

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

Auto Mechanic Asbestos Disease Risk

Auto mechanics may not know it but they are at risk for asbestos-related disease. Asbestos was used in countless products, including automotive parts such as brake linings and clutch facings, from the 1930s until the 1980s. In fact, it is still used today in many products like car brakes, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

According to an EPA document entitled “Guidance for Preventing Asbestos Disease Among Auto Mechanics”, “Millions of asbestos fibers can be released during brake and clutch servicing. Grinding and beveling friction products can cause even higher exposures. Like germs, asbestos fibers are small enough to be invisible and they can remain and accumulate in the lungs.” This can cause asbestos disease such as asbestos mesothelioma, which can take 30 years to manifest.

Asbestos Lawsuits

St. Clair County, IL: An asbestos lawsuit has been filed by Raymond and Deana Griggs naming 44 defendant corporations. In their lawsuit, the Griggs allege Raymond developed lung cancer as a result of being exposed to asbestos-containing product throughout the course of his work. The complaint states that Raymond Griggs worked as a miner, operator and maintenance worker from 1974 until 1984.

The Griggs further allege that the defendants should have known of the harmful effects of asbestos, but failed to exercise reasonable care and caution for Mr. Griggs’ safety.

As a result of his asbestos-related diseases, Raymond Griggs became disabled and disfigured, incurred medical costs and suffered great physical pain and mental anguish, the lawsuit states. In addition, he became prevented from pursuing his normal courses of employment and, as a result, lost large sums of money that would have accrued to him, the couple claim.

In their complaint, the Griggs are seeking a judgment of more than $100,000, compensatory damages of more than $100,000, economic damages of more than $150,000 and punitive and exemplary damages of more than $100,000, plus other relief the court deems just.

St. Clair County, IL: 77 defendant companies have been named in an asbestos lawsuit filed by Herman and Dorothy Leamons. Specifically, the Leamons allege the defendant companies caused Herman Leamons to develop colon cancer after his exposure to asbestos-containing products throughout his careers.

According to the Leamons’ complaint, Herman Leamons worked as a member of the PPF/UA Plumbers and Pipe Fitters Union Local 706 out of Arkansas and worked as a pipefitter at Ace Supply Company from 1970 until 1977.

The Leamons allege the defendants should have known of the harmful effects of asbestos, but failed to exercise reasonable care and caution for the plaintiff’s safety.

As a result of their asbestos-related diseases, Herman Leamons became disabled and disfigured, incurred medical costs and suffered great physical pain and mental anguish, the lawsuit states. In addition, he became prevented from pursuing his normal courses of employment and, as a result, lost large sums of money that would have accrued to him, the Leamons allege in their lawsuit.

In their complaint, the Leamons are seeking a judgment of more than $150,000, punitive and exemplary damages of more than $100,000, economic damages of more than $100,000, compensatory damages of more than $100,000 and punitive damages in an amount sufficient to punish the defendants and to prevent them from committing the same actions again.

Jefferson County, TX: Carol Gatlin has filed an asbestos lawsuit on behalf of the late Kenneth Gatlin, naming eight companies as defendants.

The lawsuit claims that because of Kenneth Gatlin’s exposure to asbestos-containing products over his career, he contracted esophageal cancer, a serious and debilitating disease that ended his life.

The lawsuit accuses the defendants of negligently selling and using asbestos products despite actual knowledge of the extreme risk of harm inherent to asbestos exposure. Further, the lawsuit claims the defendants also negligently failed to provide Kenneth Gatlin with a safe place to work.

The defendants named in the suit include Cameron Iron Works, Cooper Industries, Chevron USA, Air Liquide America, Guard-Line, Triplex, Yarway Corp. and Santa Fe Braun Inc. (SETexasrecord.com)

Asbestos Law

Chattanooga, TN: David Wood, James Mathis and Donald Fillers and the Watkins Street Project LLC have been sentenced for convictions of conspiracy and violating federal clean air laws. The men were charged for environmental violations that occurred while they worked on the demolition of a Chattanooga textile mill that contained large amounts of asbestos. Specifically, the prosecutors contended that while working on the former Standard Coosa Thatcher plant, the men and their company allowed asbestos to become airborne.

The men, convicted in January, were sentenced on Monday: Woods receive a 20-month prison sentence, Fillers a a a four-year prison sentence and fined $20,000, and Mathis received an 18-month prison term. The company must pay a $30,000 fine. (The Associated Press)

Tags: Asbestos, Asbestos Exposure, asbestos lawsuit, Asbestos Mesothelioma, Asbestos Settlement
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Asbestos News Roundup: 9.27.12 – Second-Hand Asbestos Risk

September 27th, 2012. By LucyC

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

“Take Home” – or Second Hand Asbestos Exposure

Recently, the medical profession has begun to recognize that people can be affected by asbestos-caused diseases through secondary or passive exposure.

Also known as second-hand asbestos exposure or “take home” asbestos exposure, passive exposure refers to exposure to asbestos fibers that become embedded on a person’s clothing or in their hair—from either another person who has been in direct contact with asbestos or from indirect circumstantial exposure to asbestos.

For example, cases of second-hand asbestos exposure were recently been reported by wives and children of men who worked in the shipyards in World War II. The workers were exposed to large amounts of damaged or “friable” asbestos while on the job, and their wives became came ill following exposure to asbestos fibers that had become lodged in the workers’ clothing. Over the years, the constant inhalation of these fibers resulted in the development of asbestos-related diseases. Case in point, the recently filed asbestos lawsuit concerning Gladys W. Williams, highlighted below.

And there have been asbestos lawsuits filed by children of men who worked around asbestos, and who developed asbestos-related illnesses.

Secondary asbestos exposure is also possible by living in a community or area located near an asbestos mine or a company that manufactures asbestos or products containing asbestos. Many older buildings may also contain asbestos insulation, including schools.

Asbestos Lawsuits

Galveston, TX: Jerry Mapp, son of the recently deceased Sam Billy Mapp, has filed an asbestos lawsuit alleging asbestos-related illness claimed his father’s life. The named defendants in the lawsuit include BP and Pharmacia Corp.

According to the lawsuit, Sam Billy Mapp—who died from cancer on September 23, 2010—worked as an operator from 1947 to 1952, and was exposed to asbestos dust and fibers prior to 1980. The lawsuit claims that the defendants knew, or in the exercise of ordinary or reasonable care should have known, that the asbestos containing insulation and/or machinery they manufactured, sold, designed, supplied, distributed, mined, milled, relabeled, resold, processed, applied or installed was poisonous and highly harmful to the plaintiff’s health.

The lawsuit further claims that the defendants failed to adequately warn Sam Billy Mapp of the dangers associated with the asbestos containing products and/or machinery. Jerry Mapp is seeking unspecified damages. (setexasrecord.com)

St. Clair County, IL: Thirty-three defendants companies have been named in an asbestos lawsuit filed by Lynn Torres, who alleges he developed lung cancer as a result of asbestos exposure on the job.

Torres worked as a welder at Kaiser Aluminum from 1966 until 1975 and at the Carpenters District Council for an unspecified amount of time. The lawsuit contends that the defendants should have known of the harmful effects of asbestos, but failed to exercise reasonable care and caution for the Torres’ safety.

The lawsuit alleges that as a result of his asbestos-related disease, Torres became disabled and disfigured, incurred medical costs and suffered great physical pain and mental anguish. Further, Torres’ became prevented from pursuing his normal course of employment and, as a result, lost large sums of money that would have accrued to him.

Torres is seeking a judgment of more than $50,000, compensatory damages of more than $100,000, punitive and exemplary damages of more than $100,000 and punitive damages in an amount sufficient to prevent the defendants from performing similar conduct in the future, plus other relief the court deems just. (madisonrecord.com)

St. Clair County, IL: James Mahan has filed an asbestos lawsuit naming 48 defendant corporations that, he alleges, caused him to develop lung cancer.

Mahan worked as a submarine maintenance worker from 1954 until 1957, as a nursing assistant at the VA Hospital from 1958 until 1980 and from 1980 until 1983 as a maintenance man for the North Little Rock Housing Authority, according to the lawsuit. It was during this time and through his work that he was exposed to asbestos.

In his complaint, Mahan alleges the defendants should have known of the harmful effects of asbestos, but failed to exercise reasonable care and caution for the plaintiff’s safety, the lawsuit states.

As a result of his asbestos-related disease, Mahan became disabled and disfigured, incurred medical costs and suffered great physical pain and mental anguish, the complaint says. In addition, he became prevented from pursuing his normal course of employment and, as a result, lost large sums of money that would have accrued to him, he claims.

Mahan is seeking a judgment of more than $50,000, compensatory damages of more than $100,000, punitive and exemplary damages of more than $100,000 and punitive damages in an amount sufficient to punish the defendants, plus other relief the court deems just. (madisonrecord.com)

Tags: Asbestos, Asbestos Exposure, asbestos lawsuit, Asbestos Mesothelioma, Asbestos Settlement
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Asbestos News Roundup: 9.20.12 – Pipefitter Asbestos Risk, Canadian Ban

September 20th, 2012. By LucyC

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

Pipefitters, Boiler and Furnace Technicians Asbestos Disease Risk

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, insulation blankets (the outside covering or shell), door gaskets, duct insulation, and tape at duct connections of furnaces and boilers can all contain asbestos. Technicians who worked on repairing boilers and furnaces in the past would have been at risk for asbestos exposure.

Asbestos was used between 1930 and 1972 as high-temperature insulation for oil, coal, or wood furnaces, generally found in older homes. Steam and hot water pipes were insulated with asbestos-containing material, particularly at elbows, tees, and valves. Pipes may also be wrapped in an asbestos “blanket”, or asbestos paper (which looks very much like corrugated cardboard). Asbestos-containing insulation has also been used on and inside round and rectangular furnace ducts. Sometimes the duct itself may be made of asbestos-containing materials.

This week, a long-running asbestos lawsuit was settled. The lawsuit, brought by retired pipefitter and contractor Robert Kreimer, who is now approximately 77 years old, involved numerous defendants, who were charged with being responsible for Kreimer’s asbestos mesothelioma.

Asbestos Lawsuits

Charleston, WV: A total of 71 companies have been names as defendants in an asbestos lawsuit filed by a couple from South Shore, KY. James D. Holbrook, who was diagnosed with esophageal cancer on August 23, 2011, claims the defendants are responsible for the diagnosis.

In their lawsuit, Holbrook and his wife, Guyneth Marie Holbrook, allege he was exposed to asbestos during his employment as a laborer and worker from 1956 until 1987.

The defendants are being sued based on theories of negligence, contaminated buildings, breach of expressed/implied warranty, strict liability, intentional tort, conspiracy, misrepresentations and post-sale duty to warn, according to the lawsuit. Certain defendants are also being sued as premises owners and as James Holbrook’s employers for deliberate intent/intentional tort, according to the lawsuit.

The 71 companies named as defendants in the suit are A.K. Steel Corporation; 3M Company; Ajax Magnathermic Corp.; Amdura Corporation; A.W. Chesterton Company; Beazer East, Inc.; Bechtel Corporation; Brand Insulations, Inc.; Bucyrus International, Inc.; BW IP, Inc.; CBS Corporation; Catalytic Construction Company; Caterpiller, Inc.; Certainteed Corporation; Cleaver-Brooks Company, Inc.; Columbus McKinnon Corporation; Copes-Vulcan, Inc.; Crane Company; Crown, Cork & Seal USA, Inc.; Cyclops Corporation; Detroit Steel, Inc.; Dravo Corporation; Eaton Corporation; Flowserve Corporation f/k/a the Duriron Company, Inc.; Flowserve Corporation as Successor-In-Interest to Durametallic Corporation; Foseco, Inc.; Foster Wheeler Energy Corporation; General Electric Company; General Refractories Company; Georgia-Pacific LLC; Geo. V. Hamilton, Inc.; Goulds Pumps, Inc.; Grinnell, LLC; Hercules, Inc.; Honeywell International f/k/a Allied Signal, Inc.; Honeywell International, Inc.; IMO Industries, Inc.; Industrial Holdings Corporation; Ingersoll-Rand Company; Insul Company, Inc.; ITT Corporation; J.H. France Refractories Company; Lockheed Martin Corporation; McJunkin Corporation; Metropolitan Life Insurance Company; Morgan Engineering, Inc.; Nitro Industrial Coverings, Inc.; Oakfabco, Inc.; Oglebay Norton Company; Ohio Valley Insulating Company, Inc.; Owens-Illinois, Inc.; Pneumo Abex, LLC; Premiere Refractories, Inc.; Rapid American Corporation; Riley Power Inc.; Rockwell Automation, Inc.; Rust Constructors, Inc.; Rust Engineering & Construction, Inc.; Rust International, Inc.; Schneider Electric; State Electric Supply Company; Swindell Dressler International Corporation; Tasco Insulations, Inc.; Thiem Corp.; UB West Virginia, Inc.; Union Carbide Chemical and Plastics Company, Inc.; Uniroyal, Inc.; United Engineers & Constructors and Washington Group International; Vimasco Corporation; West Virginia Electric Supply Company; and Yarway Corporation.(wvrecord.com)

Asbestos Settlements

Madison, IL: A settlement has been reached in an asbestos mesothelioma lawsuit brought by Robert Kreimer and his wife, Margie Kreimer, of Cleveland, OH. In their lawsuit, filed in November 2010, the couple sued 66 corporate defendants, and all but two defendants —mechanical seal manufacturer John Crane Co. and metal valve maker Crane Co.—had settled or had been dismissed earlier.

Born in 1935, Robert Kreimer, now approximately 77 years old, alleges he suffers from mesothelioma. From 1956-1986 he worked as a pipefitter for various contractors, including Johnson Controls, Robert Shaw, EJ Nolan, M.W. Kellogg Piping, Bechtel, Combustion Engineering, Babcock & Wilcox and Kaiser Engineering and various industrial and commercial job sites in Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana.

The lawsuit states that the defendants should have anticipated the plaintiff’s exposure to asbestos fibers. The lawsuit also claims that defendants agreed and “conspired among themselves” and with other asbestos manufacturers, distributors, and trade organizations, to injure the plaintiff.

The suit was settled this week and to date no details of the settlement have been released. (madisonrecord.com)

Asbestos News

Canada will no longer oppose global regulations restricting the use and shipment of asbestos. The news came following the election of a new government to the province of Quebec, which is home to Canada’s asbestos industry. The incoming Parti Québécois said it would cancel the federal loan and ban asbestos production and exports outright. As a result, federal Industry Minister Christian Paradis announced that the federal government will no longer support the asbestos industry.

According to a report by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, “…Paradis said his Conservatives are reversing course and won’t use their veto to stop chrysotile asbestos from being listed as a hazardous substance under the international Rotterdam Convention.

Paradis also said Ottawa will invest up to $50 million to help the country’s last remaining asbestos mining region, in Quebec’s Eastern Townships, to diversify into other areas of activity.”

The Harper government had consistently blocked the chrysotile form of asbestos from being listed under the Rotterdam Convention. The convention requires consensus of its members to list a substance; the convention already covers five other forms of asbestos. (cbc.ca)

Tags: Asbestos, Asbestos Exposure, asbestos lawsuit, Asbestos Mesothelioma, Asbestos Settlement
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Asbestos News Roundup: 9.13.12 – Electrician Asbestos Risk

September 13th, 2012. By LucyC

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

Electrician Asbestos Exposure Risk

Electricians and electrical cable installers may not know it, but they are at risk for being exposed to asbestos through repair, demolition or installation work. This lethal, fibrous material was used in felted asbestos insulation or asbestos tape to insulate wiring. So working on old power lines, old wiring or breaker boxes would put electricians at risk for asbestos exposure. Older arc chutes also contain asbestos. It was used in circuit breakers, for example, before the mid-1980′s, when they were made of asbestos-containing plastic molding compound.

Recently, an asbestos lawsuit was filed by the spouse of an electrician in Tennessee. John Elmer Simons died just months after being diagnosed with asbestos mesothelioma—and his spouse has named 76 companies as being responsible.

Asbestos Lawsuits

Charleston, WV: Willie H. Simons, the spouse of the recently deceased John Elmer Simons, of Signal Mountain, TN, has filed an asbestos lawsuit alleging 76 companies caused Mr. Simons’ mesothelioma diagnosis and death.

Mr. Simons was diagnosed with asbestos mesothelioma on April 28, and subsequently died on June 27, according to the lawsuit.

Willie H. Simons alleges John Simons was exposed to asbestos during his employment as an electrician from 1953 until 1992. The defendants are being sued based on theories of negligence, contaminated buildings, breach of expressed/implied warranty, strict liability, intentional tort, conspiracy, misrepresentations and post-sale duty to warn, according to the lawsuit.

The 76 defendants named in the suit are A.W. Chesterton Company; Air & Liquid Systems Corporation; American Producers Supply WV, LLC; Armstrong International, Inc.; Aurora Pump Company; Bayer Cropscience LP; Bechtel Corporation; BW IP, Inc.; Catalytic Construction Company; Caterpillar, Inc.; Certainteed Corporation; Cleaver-Brooks Company, Inc.; Copes-Vulcan, Inc.; Crane Co.; Dravo Corporation; E.I. Dupont De Nemours & Co.; Eaton Electrical, Inc.; Flowserve US, Inc. f/k/a Durco International, Inc.; Flowserve US, Inc. f/k/a Flowserve FSD Corporation; Fluor Enterprises, Inc.; Fluor Enterprises, Inc., as successor-in-interest to Fluor Daniel; FMC Corporation; Foster Wheeler Energy Corporation; Gardner Denver, Inc.; General Electric Company; Goulds Pumps, Inc.; Grinnell Corporation; Hercules, Inc.; Howden Buffalo, Inc.; I.U. North America, Inc.; IMO Industries, Inc.; Inductotherm Industries, Inc.; Industrial Holdings Corporation; Ingersoll-Rand Company; ITT Corporation; Joy Technologies, Inc.; Lockheed Martin Corporation; McJunkin Corporation; Metropolitan Life Insurance Company; Nitro Industrial Coverings, Inc.; Ohio Valley Insulating Company, Inc.; Owens-Illinois, Inc.; P&H Mining Equipment, Inc.; Pettibone/Traverse Left, LLC; Premier Refractories, Inc.; Rapid American Corporation; Reading Crane and Engineering Company; Riley Power Inc.; Rockwell Automation, Inc.; Rust Constructors, Inc.; Rust Engineering & Construction, Inc.; Schneider Electric USA, Inc.; Seco/Warwick Corporation; Spirax Sarco, Inc.; State Electric Supply Company; Sterling Fluid Systems, LLC; Sunbeam Corporation; Surface Combustion, Inc.; Swindell Dressler International Company; Tasco Insulations, Inc.; the Alliance Machine Company; the Chapman Valve Manufacturing Company; the Gage Company; the Nash Engineering Company; the William Powell Company; Trane U.S. Inc.; UB West Virginia, Inc.; Uniroyal, Inc.; United Engineers & Constructors and Washington Group International; Viacom, Inc.; Viking Pump, Inc.; Vimasco Corporation; Warren Pumps; West Virginia Electric Supply; Yarway Corporation; and Zurn Industries, Inc. (wvrecord.com)

San Antonio, TX: The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration has cited seven construction companies—three Miami-based contractors and four San Antonio-based subcontractors—with 45 serious and one other-than-serious violation for exposing workers to asbestos hazards at a San Antonio construction work site. Proposed penalties total $148,000.

“Asbestos is an extremely hazardous material that can potentially cause lifelong, irreversible health conditions,” said John Hermanson, OSHA’s regional administrator in Dallas. “It is imperative that OSHA’s safety and health standards be followed to avoid accidents, injuries and illnesses.”

In response to a referral by the Texas Department of State Health Services, OSHA’s San Antonio Area Office initiated a safety and health inspection in March at the Reserves at Pecan Valley apartment complex located on East Southcross Boulevard. Inspectors found that workers were remodeling apartments without the use of proper clothing and respiratory equipment that would protect them from exposure to asbestos.

Specifically, the violations include failing to abate asbestos hazards and ensure that employees work in regulated areas, perform air monitoring for asbestos exposure, use the required engineering controls to prevent exposure, require the use of proper respiratory and personal protective equipment, train workers on the hazards of working with asbestos and ensure that an asbestos assessment is performed by a qualified person. A serious violation occurs when there is a substantial probability that death or serious physical harm could result from a hazard about which the employer knew or should have known.

The Miami-based contractors have been cited for a total of 14 violations: Newport Property Ventures LLC has been issued citations carrying $36,100 in fines for eight serious and one other than serious violation; Newport Property Construction LLC has been fined $12,600 for two serious violations and Jamesboys Inc. has been issued citations carrying $18,900 in fines for three serious violations.

The San Antonio subcontractors have been cited for a total of 32 violations: Alex Vega doing business as Alco Painting & Remodeling has been issued citations carrying $28,200 in fines for 11 serious violations; Luis Lozada has been issued citations with $20,400 in fines for eight serious violations; Frank Gonzalez has been issued citations with $9,600 in fines for four serious violations; and Clemente Covarrubias, doing business as Knock It Out, has been issued citations with $22,200 in fines for nine serious violations. (WorkersCompensation.com)

Tags: Asbestos, Asbestos Exposure, asbestos lawsuit, Asbestos Mesothelioma, Asbestos Settlement
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