This past April, dozens of contractors were brought into the Surrey nuclear plant to repair the facility and at least 12 of those workers were exposed to asbestos while doing the repairs, according to Corey Nealon of the Daily Post.
The workers told the Daily Post that before they began their work they were assured that their work would not involve asbestos and that any pipes that had asbestos would be labeled but that was not the case.
Asbestos causes a range of lung diseases including mesothelioma, a form of lung cancer that can be fatal within months of diagnosis. Mesothelioma attorneys represent numerous clients who were unknowingly exposed to the airborne fibers of asbestos.
The workers began work on the piping and discovered that asbestos was present, which covered their clothing and was present in three of the work trailers. Authorities were not able to determine how much asbestos was present because Dominion Virginia Power did not have air quality testing equipment available at the time the pipes were cut.
Asbestos abatement takes special training and protective measures. Without these precautions, the health of workers is seriously compromised and the cost of their healthcare can be very expensive, opening the avenue of litigation carried out by mesothelioma lawyers.
The Virginia Department of Labor found that six of the eight companies involved in the project were not responsible for the asbestos exposure. The company responsible for labeling the pipes was fined, but they are contesting the charge.
Handling asbestos requires special precautions, which can be costly. Because of this many companies bypass the regulations and risk the worker’s health, but a mesothelioma attorney will work to make sure these negligent businesses compensation workers for their disregard.
