California Supreme Court Rules Companies can be Held Liable for Secondhand Asbestos Exposure

In early December, the California Supreme Court ruled that companies can be held liable if asbestos exposure at a jobsite results in a worker’s family becoming sick. The court’s decision was covered in an article by the Los Angeles Times that reported the ruling stemmed from two previous lawsuits brought against companies after family members died from mesothelioma allegedly due to asbestos exposure from family members’ clothing.

Asbestos is the name given to six naturally occurring fibrous minerals that were used for decades in thousands of commercial products and building materials. The Agency for Toxic Substances & Disease Registry (ATSDR) reports that significant exposure to any type of asbestos will increase the risk of lung cancer, mesothelioma and asbestosis. The agency also reports that asbestos-related diseases have been diagnosed in not just workers that dealt with asbestos and asbestos-containing materials, but also with family members.

According to the National Cancer Institute, this risk is thought to result from exposure to asbestos fibers brought into the home on the shoes, clothing, skin and hair of workers. These family member exposures are referred to as secondhand, secondary or take-home asbestos exposure.

“If the proper asbestos-related safety precautions are not followed, or if workers do not know they are being exposed to asbestos, families can be at risk of diseases that may not show up for years,” said Michael Chapman, Laboratory Manager of LA Testing’s Huntington Beach facility. “At LA Testing, we offer testing services and all of the sampling supplies necessary to identify asbestos-containing materials and environmental exposure hazards. These services protect workers and their families while helping to keep companies in regulatory compliance.”

LA Testing has sponsored an educational video about asbestos and secondhand exposure that can be seen at: https://youtu.be/l6pVwqoAMUk.    

To learn more about asbestos testing or other environmental, indoor air quality, occupational, health and safety issues, please visit www.LATesting.com, email  info@LATesting.com  or call (800) 755-1794. 

About LA Testing

LA Testing is California’s leading laboratory for air quality testing of asbestos, mold, lead, VOCs, formaldehyde, soot, char, ash and smoke damage, particulates and other chemicals. In addition, LA Testing offers a full range of air sampling and investigative equipment to professionals and the general public. LA Testing maintains an extensive list of accreditations including: AIHA LAP LLC., AIHA ELLAP, AIHA EMLAP and AIHA IHLAP, NVLAP, CDC ELITE, State of California, State of Hawaii Department of Health and other states. LA Testing, along with the EMSL Analytical, Inc. network, has multiple laboratories throughout California including Huntington Beach, San Diego, San Leandro and South Pasadena.
 

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