With today’s inspection standards, the chance of asbestos exposure in the workplace is lower than it was. Many businesses opted to use asbestos for insulation of their buildings before that. One industry that experienced higher than average exposure rates was the paper mill industry.
Employees in the paper mill industry may want to consider the chances of asbestos exposure at their job.
Paper mills in Georgia
As Dun & Bradstreet reports, there are over 200 registered businesses in Georgia that have a hand in the pulp, paper and paperboard mill industry. The high heat necessary for paper making had many mills using asbestos in industrial adhesives, roofing shingles and machine insulation.
The most common exposure threat tends to be asbestos insulation, whether it insulates walls or machinery. Daily routine maintenance or heavy repair work serves as a prime task that risks exposure. For example, a mechanic opening up an old, second-hand paper mill machine may inadvertently disturb decades-old asbestos insulation around the parts.
Paper mill employees risked asbestos exposure during several steps of the paper-making process before 1990 as well.
Georgia asbestos solutions
The consequences of asbestos exposure are serious. Employees working in the paper mill industry in Georgia stand a higher risk of exposure. That may mean employment in an old mill today. It may mean employees working back before 1990.
As mesothelioma may take years to manifest after asbestos exposure, it is important to spot potential risks that may help arrange a stronger defense when seeking future compensation.