Asbestos in Minnesota
Minnesota Asbestos
Minnesota has deposits of naturally occurring asbestos located in its soil. Most exposure to asbestos in the state of Minnesota is either from work or the naturally occurring deposits.
Aside from power plants, Minnesota also has a metal works industry that may be a factor in asbestos exposure. Minnesota reopened its doors to the Reserve Mining Company, causing an increase in asbestos exposure.
Jobs with Asbestos Exposure
Power plants can be found across the state, providing millions of homes and businesses with electricity on a constant basis. With employees working around the clock, asbestos exposure risks increases. Power plants typically use asbestos-containing insulation products to wrap around the pipes that run throughout the plant. Because asbestos is fire and heat resistant, it is ideal for power plants, helping insulate pipes to keep the heat within the pipes and prevent any outbreak of fire. Thousands of employees are at risk for asbestos exposure daily. Asbestos fibers release into the atmosphere for human inhalation after being disturbed.
In the metal works industry, a lot of the protective gear is made of asbestos due to its fire and heat resistance. Welders are an example of the workers in the metal works industry who commonly wear protective gear. With wear and tear, the asbestos in the protective gear worn by these metal industry workers are disturbed and are released.
The mining industry in Minnesota is also a source for asbestos exposure, though majority of exposure is through the power plants. Reserve Mining is the main employer in Minnesota, with hundreds, possibly even thousands of miners working in the ill-ventilated areas with asbestos.
Asbestos-Related Deaths
More than 650 deaths occurring over a 20-year span were asbestos-induced. More than half were due to mesothelioma when it is usually asbestosis that is the more common asbestos-induced disease. Mesothelioma is the cancer of the lung’s lining, whereas asbestosis is the scarring of the lung’s tissue.
The chances of developing mesothelioma can increase outside of the workplace and in the homes of thousands of employees through secondhand exposure. Spouses and children become exposed to what asbestos fibers are found on the clothing of the worker. Many family members have had successful lawsuits for secondary exposure here in the United States.
