Mesothelioma & Absestos Alert: On Workers Memorial Day, a renewed focus on occupational safety
April 28th is International Workers Memorial Day, a time for people worldwide to pause and remember those who lost their lives because of injuries sustained while on the job. And, while workplace injuries as a result of accidents may seem like the most pressing issue for workers, exposure to certain toxins while at work is also a serious health concern.
One such toxin, asbestos, has caused great sadness for one particular community that is all too familiar with the health repercussions of asbestos exposure. The mining town of Libby, Montana has suffered from an unbelievably high rate of asbestos disease due to negligence of one of the town’s former employers, W. R. Grace. Workers in the W. R. Grace vermiculite mine were exposed, unknowingly, to dangerous levels of asbestos and told that the health risks were nothing to be concerned about – an effort on the behalf of Grace to cover up the real repercussions of exposure. In addition, family and community members of Libby miners were exposed to asbestos secondhand, and doctors there continue to diagnose people with asbestos illnesses regularly.
Workers in other industries, like firefighters, construction workers, home inspectors, military personnel and even teachers also have to understand the risk of asbestos exposure, as it is the only known cause of mesothelioma, a fatal form of cancer. While mesothelioma cannot be cured, it can be prevented if one’s exposure to asbestos is limited or avoided altogether.
A representative of a UK nonprofit group dedicated to increasing awareness of safety in the workplace believes that Workers Memorial Day is an important opportunity for people across the globe to analyze their own workplace and then take measures to make it a safer place to work. In an article posted on a construction-related news website, the group, Build Safe UAE, stresses the fact that workplace accidents are preventable, and that it is the responsibility of all workers to report unsafe situations before an accident happens.
“No one should have to end up a statistic,” says the organization.
Distribution channels: Healthcare & Pharmaceuticals Industry
Legal Disclaimer:
EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.
Submit your press release