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The latest statistics show that between 1980 and 2000, over 8,000 men and over 1,000 women died from Mesothelioma. If someone in your family has been affected by this grave disease, you may be legally entitled to financial compensation to help cover your losses.
A gas station attendant is an employee of a gas station that services the vehicles with gasoline. Gas station attendants normally handle gas pumping as well as providing the customers with oil and other smaller maintenance tasks. These workers are sometimes asked by the customers to check their fluid levels within the engine. An attendant can at that point recommend whether or not the customer needs to purchase additional products such as oil and windshield washing fluid. Gas station attendants can also assist mechanics if the gas station handles auto body work.
Only two states in the United States require all gas stations within their borders to be full service which are Oregon and New Jersey. Full service means that customers can not pump their own gas and require for trained gas attendants to handle the task. New Jersey has approximately 4,000 full-service gas stations in the state. In the past few years, New Jersey has toyed with the idea of moving its gas stations to self-service and allowing its customers to pump their own gas. Individuals in New Jersey political offices have brought this topic up in lieu of rising gas prices and other economic pressures. However, self-service gas stations in New Jersey never came to fruition.
Gas attendants face numerous hazards while on the job including extreme weather conditions, car emissions, and a very flammable consumer product of gasoline. However, most gas attendants are not aware that exposure to asbestos is also a very real risk. Asbestos exposure to a gas station attendant can happen in numerous ways. One way this can occur is from the actual building that the employee works at.
Many buildings built before the 1970’s consisted of asbestos containing materials. Building materials from insulation products to ceiling tiles could potentially contain asbestos. These materials were manufactured with asbestos for its heat resistant and insulating capabilities. In areas with extreme heat or potentially flammable products, asbestos containing building materials provided a solution if a fire could or would break out. Due to the fact that numerous gas stations contained asbestos, many gas station attendants could have been exposed to the contaminant while at work.
When asbestos became a well known hazard, asbestos abatement projects began to remove asbestos containing products from buildings and structures. However, there is a good possibility that many gas stations throughout our country did not remove the asbestos from its buildings. Therefore, any construction work or renovation to the building could potentially expose the contaminant. At that point, asbestos could become airborne and unknowingly inhaled by the employee. A gas station attendant could potentially inhale the asbestos or get the contaminant caught in his or her clothing. The asbestos fibers could then potentially be transported to unsuspecting family and friends.
Gas station attendants could also become exposed to asbestos while assisting mechanics in the gas station’s auto body shop. Many gas stations in the United States also act as body shops. Therefore, a gas attendant working at one of these could be asked to assist the mechanics in daily activities. Auto mechanics are well known to have been exposed to asbestos due to the fact that many automobiles were also manufactured with asbestos. Many parts within an automobile were manufactured with asbestos up until the late 1970’s including brakes, clutches, and wiring. Asbestos was also used in these products for its heat resistance and insulation properties. A gas station attendant could become exposed to these products while assisting the auto mechanics. In this case, asbestos dust could easily be created from the brake pads or other asbestos containing parts causing asbestos fibers to become airborne and inhaled by an unknowing gas attendant. If not inhaled, the asbestos fibers could again potentially be caught in the gas attendant’s clothing and unknowingly transported to family and friends.
If you or someone you know is a gas station attendant who has been exposed to asbestos, seek immediate medical attention and then speak to an experienced asbestos attorney to understand your legal rights.