How Long have the Dangers from Asbestos been Known?
The dangers of asbestos became apparent soon after it entered widespread commercial use. Deaths and lung problems were noticed in asbestos mining towns before 1900. The first medical diagnosis of a death from asbestos was made in England in 1906. By 1918 insurance companies in America and Canada would no longer insure workers in the asbestos industry because of suspected health hazards. In 1935, researchers in both the England and the United States reported a suspected association between asbestos exposure and lung cancer. Unfortunately this scientific data regarding the dangers of asbestos was for a long time ignored by many asbestos manufacturers and corporate users of asbestos materials. Companies continued to use asbestos as a building material and in manufacturing processes. Sometimes safer alternatives, such as fibreglass insulation, were ignored in favour of less expensive asbestos materials. This failure of employers to protect their workers has led to wide spread suffering and
