Before the terrible health risks of asbestos were known, particularly before the 1980s, certain Simpson Paper workers could have been facing asbestos exposure on a daily basis. The more a worker handled toxic materials, the higher the cancer risk, but any amount of exposure to asbestos can raise the risk of developing cancers such as colon cancer, lung cancer, kidney cancer, lung cancer and mesothelioma.
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and EPA have labeled mesothelioma as a fatal cancer “primarily associated with exposure to asbestos.” That wasn’t always common knowledge which is why so many industrial giants and paper mills used the material as an insulator.
Paper milling and paper pulping usually involve very high heat, and asbestos was ideal because it was heat-resistant and cheap. Simpson Paper workers were likely exposed around machines, and many operators and machine repair servicemen were at high risk. The safety risks were seen well into the 1980s, and millions of paper industry workers were exposed to various toxic chemicals and products.
Joe Lyon is a highly-rated Asbestos Cancer Lawyer reviewing paper mill asbestos exposure for workers nationwide.
Simpson Paper Mill Asbestos Exposure
Paper plants were obviously wary of the fire risks that went hand in hand with the industry which is why many of the paper mills and warehouses were insulated with such a great deal of asbestos materials. For fire prevention, construction materials like the roofing, flooring, paneling, cement and equipment were all made with asbestos.