Canadian health official began to publically recognize the dangers of asbestos in the 1970’s, and the carcinogen’s use was largely phased out in Canada by the 1990’s. However, asbestos related diseases, such as asbestosis, lung cancer and mesothelioma, have become the leading cause of workplace death in British Columbia.
Only now are workers who were exposed decades ago beginning to die, which means asbestos exposure still poses a severe threat. WorkSafe BC documents some 50 asbestos-related workplace deaths annually, and it is estimated that 1,500 workers will die from asbestos-caused disease over the next five years. What’s even more troubling is that many cases of asbestos disease are not recognized as such and, therefore, are not reflected in the national figures.
In B.C. only 23% of asbestosis victims filed provincial workers’-compensation claims, and less than half of all provincial mesothelioma cases are compensated by WorkSafe BC, despite the fact that prolonged asbestos exposure causes this rare cancer of the lining of the chest and abdomen in 77% of cases.
Electricians make up 8% of WorkSafe BC’s asbestos-disease claimants, while metal workers and mechanics make up 21%. Many plumbers, carpenters, painters, insulators and drywallers are also regularly exposed to asbestos despite strict controls over asbestos use and removal.
The severity of asbestos related disease means that mortality is high. For example, despite its aggressiveness, mesothelioma treatment, a combination of surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy, is rarely successful in saving or prolonging a patient’s life because the disease takes a long time to develop and is difficult to diagnose. There’s no cure for pleural mesothelioma.
Many workers may die never knowing what they have or why they have it, making asbestos related diseases a massively overlooked workplace threat.