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Nebraska

The death rate for the people of Nebraska due to asbestos related injuries is considerably lower than that of the rest of the country, however, that is not to say that they do not have their share. There are many areas in which people may have lived or worked and been exposed to asbestos.

Vermiculite

In Nebraska you may have been employed sometime between 1948 - 1993 in a plant that processed vermiculite by "popping" or exfoliating it. Vermiculite in itself is completely safe. However, the vermiculite that was processed in these plants was received from Libby, MO. In Libby the mines had been found to contain vermiculite that was quite heavily contaminated with asbestos. The employees were not any the wiser as they worked every day in the poorly ventilated mines, inhaling the asbestos, and neither were the persons that processed vermiculite. The resulting dust and debris from the exfoliating process would be inhaled or ingested by the workers, and would be brought home to the families on clothing.

Power Generation Plants

In Nebraska, as with the rest of the country, there are power generation plants. When these plants were first constructed, it was at a time that asbestos was accepted as a sort of miracle product that would insulate and fire proof structures and equipment economically. The persons that worked in power generation plants would work around insulation that would cover sensitive electrical components, safeguarding them from temperature extremes, and the pipes would be insulated with asbestos as well. Even the protective clothing that the employees wore would have asbestos fibers for their protection. When the insulation aged and crumbled, and when the gear tore or wore through, the fibers were once again exposed to the air, and the workers were at risk of inhalation.

Some other locations that used asbestos in this state were petroleum plants and locomotive engines. One of the higher risk industries of all is construction. Construction workers used to install all manner of products that contained asbestos, such as ceiling tiles, insulation, floor tiles, and wall board. These went into homes, municipal buildings, and businesses. As these buildings were no longer useful or became outdated, they would either be torn down or remodeled, and the workers would again be exposed, though now to great clouds of asbestos as they tore the structures apart. The workers not only inhaled it themselves, but their clothing would carry home fibers where their families would be exposed as well.

Asbestos exposure is directly responsible for cases of asbestosis, an illness that made the victim suffer reduced lung function. If caught in time, this illness can be treated. Another health problem that victims encounter is mesothelioma, which is a cancer that is caused by asbestos, a known carcinogen. Mesothelioma does not have the success rate that asbestosis has for treatment, as it is a malignant form of cancer. If you have been diagnosed with either, you should seek legal aid so that you can find out your rights and if you are able to get help to pay for the medical care that you require. If you have not been diagnosed, notify your primary care physician so that they may monitor you for symptoms, as it is not uncommon for the symptoms to take several years, or even decades, to appear after exposure.

Last modified: December 09 2009.