Asbestos in Mines
Miners in a variety of fields could have been exposed to asbestos while in the mines. The most obvious source of exposure via a mine is through an asbestos mine. These were massive mines that produced a lot of asbestos. Since the process of mining requires disturbing asbestos in order to remove it from the ground or rock, there were many asbestos particles floating around in asbestos mines that were dangerous to the unprotected workers.
Other mines could be potentially contaminated by asbestos, as well. Vermiculite mines are one of the most common examples of a mine for a safe mineral that is often contaminated by exposure to asbestos. When vermiculite is found, it is likely that asbestos is not too far away.
Vermiculite and asbestos, structurally, are very similar minerals. So the chemical and physical processes that produce vermiculite have a great chance of producing asbestos in the same area, if not in the same mine. As a result, a vermiculite mine that posed no innate hazard to its workers could have easily been contaminated by asbestos which means that the entire mine could have been contaminated and hazardous.
Asbestos in mines is most dangerous when the miners or the mine’s owners do not realize that their formerly clean mine has been contaminated by asbestos. When this happens, the workers who were not given protective gear because they were safe in their “clean mine” can suddenly find themselves in harm’s way because of their exposure to dangerous asbestos particles.
To prevent asbestos exposure, owners of mines are responsible for ensuring that their employees are working in “clean” mines that are free from asbestos. When this fails to happen, mine owners may be held responsible for jeopardizing the safety of innocent workers.
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Asbestos exposure can be dangerous and deadly, and it is important to understand the hazards of exposure if you feel you may have come in contact with asbestos in the course of your work. For more information on being exposed to asbestos in mines, or for any other asbestos-related concerns, contact us today at 800-781-3955.
