People generally understand that mining is a dangerous profession. Miners have to handle dangerous equipment and work in environments with an assortment of risks. Cave-ins, gas leaks and accidental contact with equipment could all lead to severe injury for those extracting natural resources from the Earth’s crust.
Advances in technology have decreased many of these risks, but some workers may have experienced risks previously that will lead to medical issues in the future. Certain types of specialty mining are more dangerous than people realize when it comes to delayed illness.
Talc minors help obtain soft mineral resources used for a variety of products. They help extract nearly 500,000 tons of talc in the United States each year. Unfortunately, as a result of their job duties, they may be at risk of asbestos-related illness.
Those handling talc may also handle asbestos
It is very common for natural talc to exist in close proximity to asbestos. Such contamination can be an issue for consumer safety and worker health. It can be difficult for those mining tell to identify contaminated areas. They might unintentionally stir up and inhale particulate asbestos as part of their job extracting talc from the ground.
Talc miners might assume that their risks are minimal, especially if they have since retired. Unfortunately, there is no safe level of exposure to asbestos. Even occasional inhalation of particulate asbestos could cause several kinds of cancer or asbestosis. Typically, the severe medical consequences associated with talk exposure take years to develop.
Workers may have long since left their jobs when they fall ill. Pursuing an asbestos-related compensation claim can potentially help those in high-risk professions cover care costs and support their families.