The map below is intended for New Yorkers who are concerned that they, or their loved ones, risk their lives at work each day by working around asbestos and asbestos-containing products.
If you live or work in one of the five boroughs of New York City:
- Brooklyn
- The Bronx
- Queens
- Manhattan
- Staten Island
Review the map to see if your company, or a company managing a site where you worked, has violated asbestos laws that could have resulted in unwittingly exposing employees and residents to the toxic mineral.
- failure to properly contain asbestos
- using uncertified workers (or those who are not trained in proper handling of the deadly material)
- falsely reporting the level of asbestos present
- improper containment or removal of asbestos
Any of these illegal practices could result in the release of asbestos into the air where it can be inhaled or ingested – leading to a lifetime risk of developing an asbestos-related disease.
Asbestos is so toxic even small amounts of the mineral and infrequent exposure can lead to asbestos-related diseases.
Asbestos is a human carcinogen, known to cause lung cancer and mesothelioma, a terminal cancer of the lining of the lungs, heart or abdomen, as well as other cancers and respiratory diseases.
As a result, management of asbestos is highly regulated by the State and Federal Government. Removal, management and disposal of the material must be handled by certified contractors.
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, along with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, regulates asbestos abatement and removal projects, and the disposal of the waste. Violation of the laws and guidelines come with stiff penalties, and potentially, with serious consequences to the nearby workers and residents who were exposed to airborne asbestos.
Over 20 million people in the United States are at risk of developing malignant mesothelioma due to asbestos exposure, according to the University of Hawaii Cancer Center.
Further, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that an estimated 1.3 million construction and general industry American workers are potentially being exposed to asbestos.
Much of this exposure affects men and women who worked in an environment where asbestos-containing materials were processed or handled.
Most at-risk for disease are trade workers such as insulators, plumbers and pipefitters, electricians, sheet metal workers, auto mechanics, refinery and factory workers and shipyard workers.
81,300 trade workers were employed in the five boroughs in 2014, with an anticipated growth of nearly 23 percent by 2022, according to a report from the New York Bureau of Labor Market Information, Division of Research and Statistics.
The trade workers include electricians, plumbers and pipefitters, and construction workers.
These men and women not only focus on new construction, but they are called upon to update, renovate and demolish existing commercial and residential structures.
This work on buildings built prior to the 1980s, where asbestos was used in construction materials, often places them at risk of disturbing asbestos.
Once the asbestos materials are hammered, chiseled, sanded or loosened in any manner, the friable material can become airborne and, subsequently, can be inhaled leading to health risks.
However, if asbestos is managed properly, and according to regulations and safety guidelines, these workers should be safe when on the job.
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It contains a wealth of information and resources to help you better understand the condition, choose (and afford) appropriate treatment, and exercise your legal right to compensation.
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