Many people focus on the risk of exposure to asbestos for people who work around it. They may not realize that those individuals can also put their family members at risk of asbestos exposure. This can occur when asbestos fibers are carried from a worksite into a home.
Asbestos fibers are tiny and can attach to a person’s clothing, skin, hair, shoes, tools or vehicle interior. Even if the family member never visits the worksite where the asbestos is located, they may still come into contact with it.
Even careful handling can result in exposure
Many workers are especially careful when they’re working around asbestos, but the tiny fibers can become airborne even if the material is moved only slightly. Once they’re on clothing or other surfaces, they will remain there until they’re moved, which happens if the worker takes their clothing off or gets in or out of the vehicle.
Asbestos exposure can lead to mesothelioma, but that disease doesn’t occur right away. It can show up decades after a direct exposure. It can be even longer before a person who has second-hand asbestos exposure experiences symptoms. By the time symptoms of mesothelioma are evident, the disease is usually advanced.
Mesothelioma exposure should always be taken seriously. Job sites that have known asbestos have very specific safety standards to follow. If those aren’t followed, the risk of primary exposure increases for the worker, and the risk of secondary exposure increases for their family.
Anyone who’s diagnosed with mesothelioma should learn about their options for pursuing compensation. This could enable them to cover the financial damages associated with the condition while they deal with the physical and emotional effects.