Learn About Asbestos Legislation
Asbestos is a naturally occurring fiber found in rock and soil. It has been used in many building materials, including shingles, ceiling and floor tiles, vermiculite insulation and automobile parts (clutches, brakes, and transmission parts). Exposure to asbestos has been associated with lung cancer, mesothelioma, and asbestosis. Because of these health hazards, most asbestos use has been banned in the U.S. To learn more about asbestos legislation, follow the steps below.
Steps
- Collect some basic information. To understand any piece of legislation, one must first collect some background information and seek to understand the basics. Good places to start in gathering the basic facts include:
- The Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) webpage U.S. Federal Bans on Asbestos. The page contains information on banned products and uses, examples of unbanned products that contain asbestos, and a brief history of regulatory bans. Follow the links throughout the text to learn more about federal regulations and recent court decisions which affect those regulations.
- Asbestos.com’s National Asbestos Legislation webpage. Asbestos.com is maintained by the Mesothelioma Center. Its Asbestos Legislation page contains easy-to-understand information about various regulatory agencies concerned with asbestos and the current laws and regulations.
- Review the laws. Besides federal legislation concerning asbestos, many states have created their own asbestos plan and passed legislation regarding asbestos-containing products and worker safety. You can locate federal or state legislation using some of the following websites.
- Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) Standards for general industry and shipyard employment.
- Links to state legislation for states whose plan has been approved by OSHA can be located on OSHA’s webpage State Plan Occupational Safety and Health Acts and Statutes.
- The National Conference of State Legislatures provides an Environmental Health Statute Search on its website. Users may select a state on the left and "asbestos" on the right. Click "search" to see a list of current asbestos legislation in the chosen state.
- Read what nonprofit and public-service organizations have to say. Generally the information published by nonprofit organizations is accurate and trustworthy. Organizations that provide information on current asbestos legislation include:
- HG.org. HG is a worldwide legal directory providing detailed information about past and present asbestos legislation.
- the American Geosciences Institute (AGI). A search for "asbestos" on the AGI search page returns hundreds of articles about asbestos legislation, policies, and hearings.
- The Mesothelioma and Asbestos Awareness Center (MAAC). MAAC offers clear information about asbestos-related illness and legislation.
- Mesothelioma Group. Mesothelioma Group helps veterans and their family and friends deal with mesothelioma by providing a wealth of information on the disease, treatment options, and current prognosis.
- The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, AFL–CIO (“AFSCME”). AFSCME has published a fact sheet containing information about Federal OSHA and EPA asbestos laws. The fact sheet provides information specifically for maintenance, custodial, and other building-service workers who may have been (or run the risk of being) exposed to asbestos at work.
- Take advantage of attorney and law-firm blogs and websites. Many personal-injury lawyers maintain websites with blog posts and news stories about asbestos litigation and legislation. Locate and read these law sites and blogs, and subscribe to "really simple syndication" (RSS) feeds to stay informed about new legislation and changes to current law. Some law blogs providing information about asbestos legislation include:
- Flood Law Group, LLP. The Flood Law Group represents plaintiffs who have been injured as the result of asbestos exposure. The firm’s website contains current news items, information about class-action settlements, and articles discussing asbestos legislation.
- The Law Office of Worthington and Caron, PC. Keep track of current asbestos legislation and proposed changes with this law firm’s website.
- Kazan, McClain, Satterley, Lyons, Greenwood & Oberman. This firm maintains a blog that posts articles and information about changes in asbestos legislation.
- Utilize sites featuring legal and asbestos news.
- JD Supra Law News. This is a massive archive of searchable legal news, including updates on asbestos legislation. Use the site’s search feature, and enter "asbestos."
- Asbestos.com. Owned and operated by the Mesothelioma Center, Asbestos.com provides a wealth of information on asbestos legislation.
- Laws.com. Laws.com contains information about every aspect of asbestos injury and related lawsuits and legislation.
