First responders rushed to the aid of trapped and injured shoppers in downtown Philadelphia last month, after a botched demolition project, without a second thought to their own safety.
Now, however, our Boston mesothelioma lawyers understand that in those hours spent digging, climbing, pulling and lifting, brave men and women were exposed to asbestos fibers, lingering in the air after the collapse.
The confirmation that asbestos was found at the site raised three very important issues:
Let's start with the general risk to first responders. We tend to think of asbestos exposure as being something that is primarily an issue for industrial workers - those in fields of construction, mechanics, shipping, electrical engineering, etc. And it's true that all of those are high-risk occupations in terms of asbestos exposure. However, firefighters are often at risk just by virtue of the fact that their headquarters often contain asbestos. During downtime, firefighters often will do improvement projects here and there around the station, heightening their risk of exposure.
Additionally, given the pervasiveness of asbestos in many 20th century buildings and the fact that the substance is especially deadly when disturbed, consider who we send to these structures when they are on fire or collapsing. Even those who might not have been on a call to an asbestos-laden structure might be exposed to it from the unwashed gear hanging up from those who were on the scene.
Which brings us to the last point, which is the reported failure of this asbestos inspector to correctly identify whether the fibers were present in this structure. This inspector, certified by the city, two weeks prior to the collapse submitted an inspection report indicating that no asbestos was found at the site. Six people were killed when demolition crews improperly took down a wall of the structure. Subsequently, crews were brought in to remove the debris. Those crews have since confirmed that asbestos did in fact have to be removed from the site, proving it was present after all.
So far, the mayor's office has refused to answer questions about how a city inspector could have been so wrong. No doubt, this is not an issue the people of Philadelphia will be willing to drop anytime soon.
Now, however, our Boston mesothelioma lawyers understand that in those hours spent digging, climbing, pulling and lifting, brave men and women were exposed to asbestos fibers, lingering in the air after the collapse.
The confirmation that asbestos was found at the site raised three very important issues:
- The risk taken on by first responders every day;
- The fact that these men and women weren't given protective respiratory gear before they were dispatched to this scene;
- The revelation that a licensed asbestos inspector had deemed the structure asbestos-free just days before the incident.
Let's start with the general risk to first responders. We tend to think of asbestos exposure as being something that is primarily an issue for industrial workers - those in fields of construction, mechanics, shipping, electrical engineering, etc. And it's true that all of those are high-risk occupations in terms of asbestos exposure. However, firefighters are often at risk just by virtue of the fact that their headquarters often contain asbestos. During downtime, firefighters often will do improvement projects here and there around the station, heightening their risk of exposure.
Additionally, given the pervasiveness of asbestos in many 20th century buildings and the fact that the substance is especially deadly when disturbed, consider who we send to these structures when they are on fire or collapsing. Even those who might not have been on a call to an asbestos-laden structure might be exposed to it from the unwashed gear hanging up from those who were on the scene.
Which brings us to the last point, which is the reported failure of this asbestos inspector to correctly identify whether the fibers were present in this structure. This inspector, certified by the city, two weeks prior to the collapse submitted an inspection report indicating that no asbestos was found at the site. Six people were killed when demolition crews improperly took down a wall of the structure. Subsequently, crews were brought in to remove the debris. Those crews have since confirmed that asbestos did in fact have to be removed from the site, proving it was present after all.
So far, the mayor's office has refused to answer questions about how a city inspector could have been so wrong. No doubt, this is not an issue the people of Philadelphia will be willing to drop anytime soon.
.jpg)
0 comments:
Post a Comment