Asbestos News
Australian workers warned of potential asbestos risk
Residents of Ipswich in the Australian state of Queensland who worked at the former SGIO building in Brisbane during the 1980s have reportedly been warned about potential asbestos exposure after one former worker was diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma.According to the Queensland Times, the 69-year-old man was diagnosed with the rare asbestos-related cancer in November. The man reportedly worked at the building as an insurance investigator between 1988 and 1992, according to his asbestos attorneys.
Additionally, the asbestos lawyers reportedly claim the first confirmed mesothelioma diagnosis stemming from asbestos exposure in the building occurred 10 years ago. It has been alleged that asbestos lagging had been used in the facility as a fire retardant, with SGIO having hired a company to abate the carcinogenic material during the 1980s.
In addition to mesothelioma, exposure to asbestos has also been linked to lung cancer and asbestosis. All told, these illnesses kill approximately 107,000 people around the world each year, according to the World Health Organization.
12/19/11
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