Mesothelioma and Sailors and Deckhands
Effects Of Asbestos On Sailors And Deckhands
From the 1920s to the 1980s, the United Sates has seen several cases of asbestos exposure, and as a result, growth in the cases of an asbestos related cancer called Mesothelioma. Every year, hundreds and thousands of workers and their families apply for compensation for death and diseases occurring due to asbestos pollutants. Most of these families have some or the other member in their home who was a sailor or a deckhand. No proper shipyard infrastructure supports the sick and jobless sailors who may have once served or been a part of the U.S. shipbuilding industry. State benefits for workers’ compensation, and medical benefits for those affected, are few and far between.U.S ships that are a haven of asbestos exposure became too toxic with asbestos pollutants to be disposed in and around U.S waters. As a result of this, many workers’ lives were affected. Prolonged exposure to asbestos has led to a panic like situation where sailors were prone to deserting their profession. Research has shown that deckhands as well as sailors are one of the few professions to be most affected by asbestos pollution.
Studies of Effects of Asbestos Exposure
Among workers with twenty years plus of shipyard experience, eighty-nine percent of their x-ray reports show serious health irregularities as a result of consistent asbestos exposure. In the early eighties, medical students were advised that a growth in the rate of reported mesothelioma cases, when surveyed around the world, seemed to harbor around shipyards and commonly cited amongst sailors and deckhands. This should give rise to stringent and uniform industrial hygiene standards to be applied to avoid asbestos exposure among those working in the shipping industry, or who are in any way connected to this industry.Thousands of shipyard workers shared the asbestos pollution with their brothers and sisters in other associated industries and other construction jobs. On a personal front, it was not only the workers but also their family members at home who were affected by the disease, since they were in close contact to these people. What these people need is a powerful representation by union leaders and elected representatives, who will fight for their basic rights and compensation, especially for those affected by dreaded diseases like Mesothelioma. Through the years, with more awareness of asbestos pollution and its dreaded effects, specific law firms have handled many such cases effectively where sailors have been compensated adequately at least for their miseries.
The need of the day though is more and more awareness, especially though government bodies, in making industries prone to asbestos pollution follow stringent quality and safety measures for their workers. Education about asbestos pollution, and how it can be avoided, is a must for all sailors and deckhands who work closely in circumstances where they have a chance of being exposed.
