Asbestos in Louisiana

 

 

Louisiana Asbestos

 

Home to the largest port in the southern region, shipyards and docks are two asbestos exposure sites. Shipyards have been known to use asbestos in the piping, boiler rooms, gaskets, and other various ship construction parts. Both during the construction and demolition of these ships, are asbestos fibers disturbed and released into the air for human inhalation. Asbestos fibers are small and cheap. This is why many opt to use asbestos fibers in their products due to the low costs.  

 

Jobs with Asbestos Exposure

 

Shipyards in Louisiana often used asbestos extensively when constructing ships. Serving as insulator to pipes throughout the ships, asbestos was found in ill-ventilated areas on the ship, making it even more likely that those working in close to proximity to those pipes were at risk for exposure. 

 

With oil rigs scattered throughout the state, thousands of workers have also been at risk for exposure at these sites. Oil rigs and refineries typically work with a lot of heat involved, and the use of asbestos to insulate their pipelines is common due to its affordability, as well as its heat and flame resistance. Those who work in these confined, ill-ventilated spaces are even more at risk for exposure than workers who work in well-ventilated areas that contain asbestos.

 

Power plants are known for its usage of asbestos to provide insulation for its pipes. Asbestos is composed of small, thin fibers that are woven together to create products that are fireproof and heat resistant, providing ideal insulation for pipes that generate millions of megawatts of electrical energy 24 hours a day, seven days a week. 

 

After the 1970s, the use of asbestos began to die down as more safety issues were made public. Despite this, the construction industry did continue using some asbestos-containing products for some time after the hazardous declaration. However, those homes built with asbestos in the HVAC rooms or in the attics where the insulation and AC/heating system occupied may still be standing and occupied, unabated. This exposure not only left those construction workers who built the home at risk for exposure, but also all occupants who lived in those homes.

 

 

Power Plants:

Shipyards:

 

Asbestos-Related Deaths

 

Nearly 700 deaths caused by asbestos exposure occurred in the state of Louisiana over a 20-year span from 1979 to 1999. Due the presence of power plant, oil and construction industries in Louisiana, asbestos numbers have grown and are projected to continue growing slowly as some of these industries have yet to proceed with abatement or replace equipment and parts made of asbestos. Mesothelioma is caused only by asbestos exposure. When asbestos fibers are disturbed, they are released into the air. As the fibers are inhaled, they make their way into the respiratory system, then attaches to the lining of the lungs.  Asbestos fibers will remain dormant during the latency period before symptoms show. Mesothelioma can take up to 50 years to develop.

 

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