Asbestos in Oklahoma
Oklahoma Asbestos
Oklahoma is primarily filled with agriculture and oil production with the various rigs seen all along the countryside and cities. Oklahoma’s economy relied on petroleum processing for more than 10 percent of its state revenue. The negative side effect to their petroleum dependence is the industry’s heavy use of asbestos products. This puts thousands of lives at risk for asbestos exposure.
Jobs with Asbestos Exposure
Petroleum processing plant workers are faced with hazardous conditions every day at work. What they probably didn’t realize that one of those risks was asbestos exposure. Many workers forget or lack the knowledge of the asbestos contained in many of the pipe fittings or insulation at the plants.
Where there are buildings, there exists a construction industry. This is true of Oklahoma, whose two main metropolitan cities include Tulsa and Oklahoma City. Smaller collegiate cities include Stillwater and Norman, both of which are densely populated around several historic buildings, mainly buildings found on the campuses of Oklahoma State University (OSU) and the University of Oklahoma (OU). Back in 2004, the Oklahoma Daily News ran a report about the asbestos found on the OU campus in two of their buildings on campus. The abatement process followed shortly thereafter and no one was harmed, but not all asbestos discoveries are quite as fortunate. Many times when asbestos is discovered in such buildings, many have already been exposed to the fibers.
The risk of exposure to asbestos by various maintenance and mechanics in the state of Oklahoma was very high. Brake mechanics are at risk because the brakes contain asbestos, not to mention the brake pads. Ford Motors has a factory located in Oklahoma City.
Asbestos-Related Deaths
Oklahoma’s asbestos fatality rate has doubled since 1979. Over 330 died as a result of asbestos exposure, and at least 60 percent of that total was due to mesothelioma. Mesothelioma is a rare form of lung cancer that affects the lining of the lungs. Most of those affected by an asbestos-induced illness live around either Oklahoma City or Tulsa. The state of Oklahoma ranks 31st in the nation for the number of mesothelioma lawsuits filed.
