October 4th, 2007

At a memorial service last weekend, the Heat and Frost Insulators Local 34 Union in Minnesota dedicated a plaque to fallen comrades. Most of the victims on the plaque died of asbestos-related diseases.

A worker’s union in Minnesota held a memorial and dedicated plaques to fallen workers within the Heat and Frost Insulators union Local 34. The dedication was for those workers that had died on the job, with the majority of those honored dying from mesothelioma. A hazard of working with insulation materials, mesothelioma is a form of lung cancer that is linked to asbestos exposure. Those present at the dedication ceremony realize that the same fate could await them.

Mesothelioma occurs when asbestos breaks apart into airborne particles, which can be inhaled. The particles become stuck to the lining of the lungs, keeping them from absorbing oxygen and slowly killing the tissue. Insulation materials, like those used by the Local 34 union, often contain asbestos in one form or another. When new insulation is installed, or old material is removed, the asbestos can break apart making the chance of contracting mesothelioma higher for the workers. The plaques will hang in the union hall within the small town.