The Amazing Mineral
Previously we discussed the dangers of asbestos and a little bit of the history of this mineral. Its history is truly one of the most interesting of all the minerals. Make no mistake, the history of minerals is filled with intrigue, swashbuckling and copious amounts of drama. In this canon, asbestos stands alone. It was once prized for its fire-resistant quality and utilized for many different uses throughout time. Asbestos still exists in several forms all around us and it is important to be educated about the products that contain the substance.
The Saturation of Asbestos
The Radium Girls
This time in American history was full of stories about the dangers of factory work and a time of definite change. The corporate attitude towards its employees was one of indifference and workers were treated no better than tools to be used until they broke. Toxic chemicals were common in factories and the upper management sometimes made false claims that these substances were safe. The story of the “Radium Girls” is one such incident that led to regulations concerning worker safety. The radium girls worked in a plant that made watches, painting the faces of the watches with radium paint that glowed in the dark. The management assured the workers that the paint was safe and encouraged them to keep the tips of the paintbrushes moistened with their lips. The workers soon began having symptoms of radiation poisoning and it was determined that the management had lied to them, causing a harmful workplace.
The Changing Times
When the lid was blown off of the asbestos industry, most, if not all, of the major asbestos manufacturing companies were forced to shut their doors. Today, we are still dealing with the effects of the asbestos cover up, including health problems and disposing of the dangerous material. Contact NOW Environmental Services for training opportunities and educate yourself or your team about asbestos.