Tag: asbestos

  • Liability for Asbestos

    environmental Strategist, between the lines:  The California Supreme Court ruled unanimously that Employers who use asbestos can be held responsible for illnesses suffered by members of their workers’ households.

    If you are not familiar with Libby Montana, it is to asbestos what Flint Michigan has been to lead contaminated water.  In Libby, asbestos miners came home with asbestos on their clothes, so it was released into the air and breathed in by local residents and family members who contracted asbestos related illnesses.

    Most people do not realize how much asbestos is still used by U.S. business.  For those using asbestos in their business operations, share the following information with them on the California court because it has set a precedent.

    Photo Credit: http://www.aawl.org.au
    Photo Credit: http://www.aawl.org.au

    More than 1,000 tons a year for asbestos containing products

    by: Steven Kazan

    Asbestos hasn’t been mined in the U.S. since 2002. However, the country still imports the mineral from nations like Brazil, which still mines it. During the last three years, the U.S. took in more than 1,000 tons of asbestos annually.

    So where does it all go? The U.S. Geological Survey lists the chloroalkali industry as the leading user of asbestos, consuming 57 percent of mineral sources. This business uses asbestos for devices that convert brine into chlorine because the material is strong and resistant to acids and bases.

    As for the rest of the asbestos that comes into the U.S., unfortunately, some industries are still allowed to manufacture certain asbestos containing products. These include, but are not limited to:

    • Cement corrugated sheets
    • Cement flat sheets
    • Cement pipe
    • Pipeline wrap
    • Vinyl floor tiles
    • Automatic transmission components
    • Clutch facings
    • Disk brake pads
    • Drum brake linings
    • Gaskets
    • Roof coatings
    • Roofing felt
    • Clothing

     

    Liability for asbestos goes beyond workplace:

    http://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Liability-for-asbestos-goes-beyond-workplace-10658229.php

  • Liability for Asbestos

    environmental Strategist, between the lines:  The California Supreme Court ruled unanimously that Employers who use asbestos can be held responsible for illnesses suffered by members of their workers’ households.

    If you are not familiar with Libby Montana, it is to asbestos what Flint Michigan has been to lead contaminated water.  In Libby, asbestos miners came home with asbestos on their clothes, so it was released into the air and breathed in by local residents and family members who contracted asbestos related illnesses.

    Most people do not realize how much asbestos is still used by U.S. business.  For those using asbestos in their business operations, share the following information with them on the California court because it has set a precedent.

    More than 1,000 tons a year for asbestos containing products

    by: Steven Kazan

    Asbestos hasn’t been mined in the U.S. since 2002. However, the country still imports the mineral from nations like Brazil, which still mines it. During the last three years, the U.S. took in more than 1,000 tons of asbestos annually.

    So where does it all go? The U.S. Geological Survey lists the chloroalkali industry as the leading user of asbestos, consuming 57 percent of mineral sources. This business uses asbestos for devices that convert brine into chlorine because the material is strong and resistant to acids and bases.

    As for the rest of the asbestos that comes into the U.S., unfortunately, some industries are still allowed to manufacture certain asbestos containing products. These include, but are not limited to:

    • Cement corrugated sheets
    • Cement flat sheets
    • Cement pipe
    • Pipeline wrap
    • Vinyl floor tiles
    • Automatic transmission components
    • Clutch facings
    • Disk brake pads
    • Drum brake linings
    • Gaskets
    • Roof coatings
    • Roofing felt
    • Clothing

     

    Liability for asbestos goes beyond workplace:

    http://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Liability-for-asbestos-goes-beyond-workplace-10658229.php

  • Is Talc the new asbestos?

    environmental Strategist, between the lines: As your environmental team member, one of Environmental Risk Managers functions is to share competitive environmental intelligence on trending environmental exposures that can impact your client’s. Due to recent events we want to make sure Talc is on your radar screen. That’s right, the Talc used to powder babies bottoms, the Talc basketball player LeBron James puts on his hands as part of a pre-game ritual to make a big cloud of it go into the air.

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    Photo credit – www.wonba.fr

    Talc is dug from the ground and sometimes can be interlaced with asbestos. Talc has microscopic fibers that can damage lungs if inhaled. China and Pakistan are two of the biggest suppliers of talc together providing 150,000 tons per year to the US.

    In the United States roughly 25% of talc is used for Plastics, 17% for ceramics, 15% for paints, 15% for paper, 9% for cosmetics, 6% for roofing, 3% for rubber

    Talc as a food additive, filler for capsules, pills and chewing gum. It’s used in processing olive oil, it is used in electric cables and insecticides. Talc powder has the ability to absorb moisture, absorb oils, absorb odor, serve as a lubricant, and produce an effect with human skin. Due to its low shear strength, Talc is one of the oldest known solid lubricants. Talc is a friction-reducing additive in lubricating oils.

    A form of Talc known as “soapstone” is a soft rock that is easily carved and has been used to make ornamental and practical objects for thousands of years. It has been used to make soap, crayons, sculptures, bowls, countertops, sinks, stoves, hearths, pipe bowls, and many other objects.

    The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that parents not use baby powder because it poses a risk of respiratory problems, including breathing trouble and serious lung damage if the baby inhales it. The particles are so small, it’s difficult to keep them out of the air while applying the powder.

    The links below offer more information on the environmental exposures of Talc.

    http://www.clydeco.com/insight/article/is-talc-the-new-asbestos

    http://www.fairwarning.org/2015/09/talc-and-asbestos/

    http://www.mesothelioma.com/asbestos-exposure/products/talc-powder/

    http://www.cancer.org/cancer/cancercauses/othercarcinogens/athome/talcum-powder-and-cancer