Request Free Legal Consultation
If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with mesothelioma or another asbestos-related disease, contact us for a free, no-obligation consultation.
THE SOKOLOVE PROMISE
If we think that a mesothelioma lawyer can move forward with your case, we'll begin immediately - at no cost to you.
Worldwide exposure
The problems of asbestos and asbestos cancers such as the risk of mesothelioma are not unique to the United States. Around the world, many countries have struggled with the dilemma of how to deal with asbestos related issues. Others, unfortunately, have chosen to ignore or deny the existence of the risk of mesothelioma.
The following examples tell a story of an international environmental disaster.
Australia has one of the highest per capita rates of mesothelioma in the world. Since 1945, about 7000 Australians have died from mesothelioma--a number which, according to one expert, will grow to 39,000 by 2020. James Hardie Industries, one of the worst offenders among asbestos manufacturers in Australia, only ceased production in 1987. This was in spite of a 1964 memo from the company's safety officer, which warned that asbestos was "one of the most dangerous of all industrial poisons."
Brazil is the world's fourth largest producer of asbestos. The country exports 35% of its annual production (around 200,000 tons) to more than 25 countries around the globe.
While Canada's use of asbestos is low due to strict governmental regulations, the country remains the largest exporter of asbestos in the world. Canada exports 98% of its asbestos related production, mainly to Southeast Asia and South America.
Following an occupation by Indonesia from the mid-1970s through the 1990s, East Timor was left with a new problem: deadly asbestos dust leftover from the destruction. In 2000, the World Bank funded a project to clean up the asbestos. However, workers who were hired at a rate of $3 per day received no warning of the asbestos related dangers, nor any protective clothing or equipment.
Until about 40 years ago, the town of Armley in Leeds was home to the asbestos manufacturer JW Roberts. Throughout the factory's operation, fatal asbestos dust escaped and spread over a large area of the surrounding community, into residential areas and schoolyards. Sadly, Armley's story is only one example of how asbestos affected many English communities. Today, about 1,800 new cases of mesothelioma are diagnosed each year in England. Experts predict that the annual death toll will rise to 2,000 by 2010.
Gujarat, a region of western India bordering on the Arabian sea, has been dubbed the "Asbestos Hot Spot" by the International Ban Asbestos Secretariat (IBAS). The area houses over 31,000 factories that routinely expose its workers to asbestos, including cement production, ship-breaking, chemicals and power generation factories. It is estimated that asbestos-related diseases such as mesothelioma, lung cancer and asbestosis kill more people in India than any other work-related illness. However, despite the fact that more than 40 countries have banned the use of asbestos, India’s government continues to deny its dangers.
Russia was the world's largest producer of asbestos for 50 years. Until recently, the Russian government failed to keep records of death and disease attributable to asbestos, using the lack of documentation to deny that any problem existed. Even as late as 1999, although Russia continued to produce asbestos at the rate of 720,000 metric tons annually, no safety precautions were put in place.
For over 100 years, South Africa was the third-largest exporter of asbestos worldwide. Studies of asbestos cement industry workers in the 1990s showed that 30% had some form of asbestos-related disease. Today, asbestos mining has ceased in South Africa and a small number of high-profile lawsuits have provided financial compensation for those affected by asbestos exposure. However, the widespread use of asbestos-containing products and the degree of environmental contamination is expected to continue to impact the well-being of South Africans for years to come.
After World War II, Sweden imported large quantities of asbestos for use in construction and ship building. While the use of asbestos was virtually prohibited in 1976, about 100 cases of mesothelioma are diagnosed every year in Sweden. This trend shows no sign of slowing, and the mesothelioma risk is high.
As alarming as these examples are, they only begin to convey the true extent of the international asbestos problem. Many more countries in Europe, Asia, and South America have equally tragic tales to tell regarding the manufacture and use of asbestos and the risk of mesothelioma.
Connect with us on Facebook 