Sheet Packing
Asbestos was long considered the miracle insulator. Lauded for its fire-resistant properties since the days of the Roman Empire, this mineral enjoyed many uses, beginning around the time of the Industrial Revolution and continuing through the mid 1970s. Any application that demanded the use of high temperatures seemed to be a call for the use of asbestos. What most people didn’t realize, however, was that this widespread use of the naturally-mined mineral would cause thousands to become sick and many to die.
Decades ago, tradesmen from a variety of industries used asbestos-containing materials. For example, those who worked with valves or gaskets may have encountered sheet packing. This product was used widely aboard Navy ships and other industrial vessels and was often encountered by pipefitters, steamfitters, boiler men, and others who commonly installed or maintained valves and gaskets. Sheet packing, when sawed, cut, grinded, sanded, or damaged, released tiny asbestos fibers that could be inhaled. Working in such small spaces, shipyard workers were especially prone to inhaling asbestos dust. The result among shipyard workers is the highest rate of mesothelioma in the U.S. More shipyard employees and Navy veterans have died of mesothelioma than in any other industries.
How does someone develop this dreaded cancer? It wasn’t difficult for those who worked near asbestos daily to inhale loose fibers. Asbestos fibers are long and sharp, and once inhaled, they easily become imbedded in the chest area, most often the lining of the lungs – also known as the mesothelium. Fibers from sheet packing and other similar asbestos products can not be expelled once they are inhaled. That means that the imbedded fibers will remain in the chest, usually causing inflammation. Sometimes, nothing more than inflammation will result. However, for some individuals, the inflammation will develop into a tumor and cause mesothelioma, a very aggressive cancer with no known cure and few successful treatments.
Mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases do not develop immediately. They can take anywhere from 20-50 years to develop though – in some rare cases – the disease has manifested itself sooner, particularly among World Trade Center first responders who were exposed to all kinds of toxic dust. Once mesothelioma is diagnosed, it has usually reached stage 3 or 4, which means treatment can be difficult and rarely provides anything but relief from symptoms of the disease. Many mesothelioma patients die within a year of diagnosis. While they are alive, their lives are severely compromised due to the severity of the symptoms of this cancer, which includes chest pain, difficulty breathing, coughing, fatigue, and more. The patient is usually unable to work or enjoy life with their family.
If you have been diagnosed with mesothelioma and you were exposed to sheet packing in the past, you may have a right to compensation from the manufacturers of that product. For more information about your legal rights, take a few moments to order our educational mesothelioma resource kit today.
Last modified: September 23 2008.
