Mesothelioma Lawyers Blog
The asbestos abatement process is serious business. In order to safely remove asbestos from a renovation or demolition job site before work can be completed, a certified contractor, using trained workers, must remove all of the asbestos pursuant to an asbestos abatement plan that was approved by the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MASSDep). At various times during the abatement process, abatement reports must be submitted and air quality must be monitored for particulate mater (asbestos fibers) in the atmosphere, which is not allowed and can be very dangerous to those in the general area.
All workers must be trained in asbestos abatement and must be provided with proper safety equipment. This typically includes coveralls that will be destroyed once a shift is completed and ventilators or respirators. In addition to preventing asbestos-related injuries to themselves, it is also important for the workers to make sure they are not taking asbestos dust home to their families at the end of the day.
When a worker is covered with deadly asbestos fibers on their clothing, skin, or boots, their family members can become sick when they hug the workers or simply live in the same houses as the workers. Our Boston mesothelioma lawsuit attorneys calls these types of cases a take home asbestos case, as the worker is literally taking home asbestos where their families are becoming sick.
In many case, unscrupulous property owners will allow workers to unknowingly removed asbestos material and dispose of it in an ordinary dumpster in an effort to save money and not have to hire professional asbestos abatement contractors. This is extremely dangerous and also illegal, but unfortunately, it happens all the time in Boston and across the county. However, in some cases, a professional asbestos abatement firm is used and there are still problems. While this is far from the norm, it does happen from time to time and has been the basis for numerous legal cases.
According to a recent news feature form ABC News, one asbestos abatement crew is being accused of leaving the job before the job was complete. In this particular case, those familiar with the situation say a professional asbestos abatement company was hired to perform abatement on a vacant home in their neighborhood. Instead of doing the job personally, the contractor hired a subcontractor to actually do the work. While subcontractors are commonly used in construction work, asbestos abatement is typically done by the firm who was actually hired.
However, on this particular job, witnesses say a crew showed up with a van and very noticeably began work on the project. They covered jobsite with plastic sheeting as required and placed signs that said “Danger Asbestos Abatement” on the property, which is also required by law. They also were working on other houses in the area. After some time, the crew left and did not come back. Now those who live next door are worried, as the plastic sheeting is no longer sealed and is falling off, and the job remains started, but far from complete. This is about the worst thing that could happen. The local environmental agency has stopped both the contractor and the subcontractor from bidding on any new jobs in the next three months and are working on getting this area made safe as soon as possible.
If you or a loved one is diagnosed with mesothelioma in Boston, call for a free and confidential appointment at (617) 777-7777.
Additional Resources:
Abatement crews accused of leaving asbestos cleanup jobs unfinished, August 25, 2016, By Ronnie Dahl, ABC News
More Blog Entries:
Grant v. Foster Wheeler, LLC – Proof of Asbestos Defendants’ Products as Proximate Cause of Injury, July 5, 2016, Boston Mesothelioma Lawyer Blog