Washington DC
Washington DC is rated as the 30th in the nation for asbestos related deaths. Considering the size of Washington DC, this is quite a rank to be achieved. There are three major, known areas to which we can attribute dangerous exposure of asbestos to have occurred, the Government Printing Office, the whole of Capitol Hill, and the Washington Navy Yard. There was not much recognition being given to the workers that were exposed to the elevated levels of asbestos present throughout Washington DC until an Illinois Senator, Dick Durbin, shook up the Congress floor by forcing them to look at the facts involved in 2006.
Shipyards
The Washington Navy Yard had been employed for ship building, as well as for building of armaments, such as rail guns, and other necessary marine accessories, like anchors. The structure was well insulated against the risk of fire from their blast furnaces and flammable chemicals that were in use daily, and the workers themselves were well insulated in their asbestos gloves and coveralls from the risk of being severely burned when employing this equipment. The problem is that the insulation that was meant to protect them may have exposed them to a risk that they could not have foreseen at the time. Workers from the Washington Navy Yard were surrounded by asbestos daily, and something as simple as a torn bib or worn out glove greatly increases the likelihood of dangerous levels of exposure.
Normal wear and tear on the building's fireproof surfaces turned them from preventative measures to health hazards. In the 1960s the shipyard was converted into office space, but until then most of the operations that were conducted there employed asbestos as a protective measure on a daily basis. Those who have worked in and around the Washington Navy Yard should definitely be concerned about their level of asbestos exposure and be screened regularly by medical professionals.
Maintenance
One of the hottest spots for being exposed to asbestos in Washington DC is directly under Capitol Hill where, in recent years, several men and women worked countless hours on HVAC and water lines for the structures that stand there. Asbestos was employed liberally in this area for insulation and fire proofing. Today the police will not patrol these areas due to health risks, including asbestos exposure, crumbling concrete, and arsenic fumes. The asbestos that they were being exposed to, friable asbestos fibers, is the most dangerous form, and the lungs of the workers that were recognized by the senator of Illinois in 2006 have already displayed signs of deterioration. If you, or someone that you know, has ever worked in maintenance capacity in the Capitol Hill district, it is important for them to have themselves examined, and to closely monitor their health for any signs of deterioration.
Though the use of asbestos was outlawed in the 1970s, asbestos is still present in structures today, and there are still people that may have been dangerously exposed that are not aware of the danger. Possible conditions that can be found in persons that were exposed, knowingly or otherwise, to dangerous levels of asbestos are the respiratory disease known as asbestosis and mesothelioma, a form of cancer. Though you cannot cure these debilitating diseases, there are legal remedies that you can pursue to ensure that you or your loved ones receive the care that they deserve.
Last modified: December 28, 2010.
