Mt. Juliet and Lebanon TN
Many places of employment have hazards to some degree; some are more obvious than others. Regardless, it is the employer’s responsibility to provide you with the necessary safety protocols to keep you safe and to prevent an accident or life-threatening injury or illness.
But, what happens when you have been exposed to a hazard in the workplace?
One of the most common, and most dangerous work hazards is the exposure to asbestos. Breathing asbestos cannot only cause long-term illness but even certain types of cancer or even death. More times than not, when people are exposed to asbestos, they are completely unaware of their exposure until down the road when health issues surface.
State law requires employers to prevent asbestos exposure to their employees. However, if you have been exposed to asbestos while on the job, and it has lead to you becoming sick, contact a personal injury attorney such as Attorney at Law, Yancy Belcher, to file a lawsuit on your behalf – you may be entitled to compensation.
Once you have been exposed to a dangerous chemical or asbestos in the workplace, the most important step is to contact an experienced attorney to file suit against your employer for negligence. A negligence-based lawsuit means that your attorney will need to prove that your employer failed to uphold their responsibility of protecting you against the hazards of said chemicals or asbestos and that you suffered physically as a result of their negligence.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is a federally regulated by the U.S. Department of Labor, and it reinforces the law stating that employers must abide by the occupational safety and health standards set forth by law. OSHA oversees the health and safety of employees by enforcing permissible exposure limits (PELs), which are in place to protect employees from suffering the health effects as a result of exposure to hazardous substances, including airborne concentrations of hazardous chemicals such as asbestos. These laws are to be posted in a common area of your workplace.
Every employee has the right to a safe workplace that does not pose a threat to one’s health. However, if toxins or harmful chemicals including asbestos are present in your workplace, then your employer is legally liable to ensure all employees are provided information regarding the potential consequences of exposure. Also, the employer must provide proper safety equipment for handling said toxins or chemicals to prevent exposure to employees. This information can be found on a Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS), which must be available to all employees. Also contained in this document is the safety protocol should an accident occur involving one of the harmful substances.
Remember, as an employee you have rights. Do not hesitate to request an MSDS from your employer. Be aware of warning labels. If you have already been exposed to harmful chemicals at your place of employment, contact personal injury attorney Yancy Belcher by calling (615) 773-2889.
Servicing the Mt. Juliet, Lebanon, and Hermitage areas of Tennessee, Yancy and his staff welcome you for a free consultation.
