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March 19th, 2008
The state of Ohio, along with one of the prisons in the state, are being sued over alleged asbestos exposure for inmates. Inmates claim that they were forced to remove asbestos from the prison without training or protection.
The state of Ohio and one of its prison’s is under investigation for allegedly exposing inmates to asbestos. Current and former inmates at the facility claim that they were forced to remove asbestos without training or protection, and that officials within the prison were responsible. The suit also claims that when inmates complained to outside sources about the exposure, administrators punished inmates for talking about the asbestos removal. Some of the inmates have since developed illnesses that can be affiliated with asbestos exposure.
The suit says that asbestos can be found in living areas and medical facilities. Since people that did not have training performed the removal, others in the institution could be at danger of asbestos exposure. Illnesses, most usually in the respiratory system, can occur if asbestos is disturbed such as when it is improperly removed and the material becomes airborne. Mesothelioma, emphysema and asbestosis have all been linked to breathing in asbestos fibers. Mesothelioma, an aggressive type of lung cancer, can take years to diagnose, and is usually terminal at the time of detection.
