March 23rd, 2008

A contractor working on a Naval base was sentenced this week over the mishandling of asbestos. The suit alleged that the contractor instructed his workers to improperly remove asbestos.

The U.S. District Court sentenced a Massachusetts contractor this week over allegations of the mishandling of asbestos. The work was performed at a Naval station in Maryland, and the suit alleges that the contractor told his workers to remove asbestos tiles by hitting them with crowbars. The suit also says the contractor stored the asbestos tiles overnight in plastic bags that were not sealed and left in open air trucks. The contractor plead guilty late last year, and was sentenced to 60 days in prison, ten months of house arrest and two years of probation.

The harsh penalty is a result of the potential of putting the public at risk by the contractor’s actions. Asbestos becomes airborne when it is disturbed or mishandled, such as during a faulty removal. Airborne asbestos was determined as a factor in some respiratory diseases, like emphysema and mesothelioma. A form of cancer, mesothelioma occurs when asbestos fibers are inhaled and become trapped in the lungs. Asbestos handling and removal needs to follow strict containment rules in order for the material to be safely removed and stored.