San Diego City Employees Reportedly Subject to Workplace Asbestos Exposure

Recently discovered documents reportedly indicate that the city of San Diego moved 1,100 workers into a building with multiple asbestos violations.

San Diego’s Air Pollution Control District (ACPD) reportedly documented multiple asbestos violations at 101 Ash Street in downtown San Diego in August 2019. Over the course of four months, the ACPD continued to discover more asbestos in the building, according to a local NBC affiliate. Despite the amount of documented asbestos violations, the city of San Diego moved approximately 1,100 employees into the building in December 2019.

The records were obtained by NBC 7 and reportedly indicate that visible asbestos was discovered in the building by inspectors. The most recent violation was documented approximately 2 weeks after the employees had been moved in. However, the county reportedly claims that these violations have been corrected and that the employees are not at risk of negative side effects related to asbestos exposure.

San Diego recently spent $30 million to renovate the building, making the asbestos violations even more concerning. The city’s deputy chief operating officer Johnnie Perkins was the head of the renovation project, and spoke about the decision to move in the 1,100 city employees. “We moved our staff in because visible debris on the ground in and of itself is not hazardous,” he reportedly stated. “At no time did these air samples from the asbestos show any signs of health danger. No one was exposed and no one was in any danger.”

Although asbestos particles are only hazardous to people if they become airborne and are inhaled, these fibers are microscopic and not visible to the human eye. Broken or crumbling asbestos debris may allow these particles to form airborne dust. Inhaled asbestos particles may settle in the lungs and lead to irritation and inflammation.

Records reportedly indicate that debris samples collected from the San Diego building tested positive for friable asbestos, or asbestos that could easily be crushed and release microscopic fibers into the air.

Side Effects of Asbestos Exposure

Employees who are exposed to asbestos at their place of employment may be at risk of serious health consequences. Asbestos exposure is known to result in lung cancer, as well as mesothelioma. These serious cancers may not be diagnosed for many years, and are often not discovered until the disease has progressed into late stages. Symptoms of asbestos-related lung cancer may include shortness of breath, chest pain, coughing, and fatigue. Unfortunately, these symptoms are often mistaken for symptoms of other, more benign conditions.

Many people who develop asbestos-related conditions are exposed to the dangerous material at their place of employment. While people who work in old buildings with crumbling asbestos insulation may be at risk of exposure, other occupations that may be at an increased exposure risk include construction workers, shipyard workers, auto mechanics, roofers, factory workers, and railroad workers.

Asbestos-related cancers may be life-threatening. Asbestos exposure results in the deaths of between 12,000 and 15,000 Americans every year. If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with asbestos-related conditions due to workplace exposure, you may be eligible to hire a qualified attorney and pursue a class action lawsuit.