Asbestos in Fire Curtains
Concerned that asbestos fire curtains could cause asbestos-related diseases such as mesothelioma? Learn more below.
What are fire curtains?
Fire, or safety curtains are required at theaters with stages 50 feet or higher to prevent any fires developing on stage from spreading to the audience. Fire curtains are very heavy and require their own dedicated operating mechanism. In the event of a fire, the stage manager can pull the fire curtain lever to have the fire curtain fall rapidly into place. Following some notable theater fires at the turn of the last century, theaters were required to show their fire curtains to reassure the audience that it was present and functioning properly.
Now made of fiberglass (or even iron), fire curtains were once made of fireproof asbestos. Many of these old asbestos fire curtains are still in use today, posing a risk of asbestos exposure every time the curtain is raised, lowered, or repaired.
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Can asbestos curtains cause mesothelioma?
Despite the original safety benefits of asbestos curtains, many now pose a health risk. This is because they are required to undergo regular routine testing which can disturb the integrity of the curtains, causing the fibers to be released into the air.
Airborne asbestos is extremely hazardous. Once inhaled, asbestos fibers can become lodged in the mesothelium, the protective layer of cells that line many of the body’s internal organs. Microscopic asbestos fibers are long and sharp, making them very difficult to for the body to break down or remove. Over many years, the embedded fibers can cause irritation and scarring. And over many decades, the scarring can lead to a wide range of serious illnesses, including asbestosis, lung cancer, and even malignant mesothelioma, a rare but deadly form of cancer that affects the lungs, heart, and stomach.
The three major diseases caused by asbestos exposure:
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Asbestosis is a chronic but non-cancerous respiratory disease caused by the inhalation of asbestos. Asbestosis usually results from intense, long term exposure to asbestos, usually by workers producing or working closely with asbestos products, such as building demolition. Because it is so often associated with occupational exposure to asbestos, asbestosis is considered an occupational lung disease. The primary symptom of asbestosis is severe shortness of breath (dyspnea), and put the individual at high risk for malignant illnesses such as lung cancer and mesothelioma.
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Lung cancer is the leading cause of death worldwide, and the number one cause of death related to asbestos exposure.
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Mesothelioma, or malignant mesothelioma, is a rare form of cancer that develops in the mesothelium, the thin lining that protects many of the body cavities and internal organs such as the lungs, heart, and stomach. It is almost always caused by exposure to asbestos. Mesothelioma can develop up to 40 years after exposure to asbestos.
Mesothelioma lawyers can help you
If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with mesothelioma or any other asbestos-related disease from workplace or home exposure to asbestos, contact an experienced mesothelioma lawyer immediately. Asbestos companies knew of the risks of asbestos exposure for decades before the public knew. There are avenues to compensation for their criminal actions. Asbestos attorneys can help.