Before we recognized the dangers of asbestos, people used it in a variety of different places. It was found everywhere from the construction industry to the automotive business. However, now we know that it causes things like lung cancer, mesothelioma, asbestosis, and pleural plaques. Subsequently, there are now a number of rules and regulations concerning the use of asbestos.

First, you must realize that asbestos does have a number of useful properties which contributed to it becoming a highly popular additive. It is a member of the silicate family. Silicate family materials are lauded for their insulating properties, and asbestos is no different. It is resistant to heat, flame, chemicals, electricity, and degradation. Additionally, asbestos has several helpful properties of its own. This includes high tensile strength and flexibility.

Because of these characteristics, asbestos could be found in many different places prior to regulation. In construction, it was used as roofing tiles, roofing tar, drywall compound, joint compound, ceiling tiles, insulating panels, texturing, vinyl flooring, and even counter tops. For the automotive industry, asbestos was (and still is) a component of clutch plates, gaskets, brake pads, and brake shoes. Other uses include stage curtains, firefighter's gear, fire doors, fire blankets, and thermal pipe insulation.

Even though doctors in the United States began to notice the dangers of asbestos in the beginning of the 20th century, it was not until the 1970s that people began pushing for regulations. After a number of lawsuits, the Environmental Protection Agency, or EPA, finally issued the Asbestos Ban and Phase Out Rule in 1989. This banned most asbestos-containing products, including the previously protected flooring felt, rollboard, and corrugated, commercial, and specialty paper. Also, new products cannot be developed that contain this mineral.

The EPA also protects against the release of airborne asbestos fibers, because this is the most dangerous form of the mineral. It is when fibers break off that we inhale and ingest the microscopic, health-damaging particles. They can then get lodged in our lungs, where they can cause lung cancer, mesothelioma, asbestosis, and pleural thickening. If ingested, asbestos fibers can contribute to cancers such as esophageal, gastrointestinal, and colorectal.

The Occupational Safety and Health Agency (OSHA) also helps protect people from asbestos exposure, specifically workers. It requires that automotive centers that perform more than five brake or clutch jobs per week adopt special methods to help contain the release of fibers. Additionally, it regulates the way employers approach asbestos exposure and requires them to perform certain amounts of paperwork and reporting to help keep their employees safe.

Although we now have many regulations that help protect us from asbestos exposure, many people came into contact with the substance before the ban. Additionally, others can still encounter asbestos in accidental exposures. If you or someone you know has developed mesothelioma due to illegal asbestos exposure, you may be entitled to financial recompense. For more information, talk to a mesothelioma lawyer at the firm of Williams Kherkher today.