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South Carolina workers should be able to trust their employers to provide safe working environments. When dangers arise in a workplace, an employer should alert his or her staff to the problem. In some situations — such as that of asbestos exposure — removing workers from an area is the most appropriate course of action. Not all employers treat this situation as seriously as they should.

Workers in another state recently spoke up about a serious problem at their place of work. Construction crews were in the middle of a project to install new flooring in a building when they allegedly discovered that the old flooring was contaminated with asbestos. The company responsible for the installation projected placed a piece of carpet over the asbestos-tainted floor and contacted the local Department of Management Services. The DMS says that workers were never in any danger.

The employees who were working in the building at the time say that the DMS account of things is not accurate. They claim that no one performed any air tests until months after the initial asbestos discovery was made. It is also possible that those in charge of the product were aware of the dangerous nature of the flooring project. While the project kicked off during the fall in 2018, DMS had already brought up asbestos-specific renovation starting on July 5 of the same year.

An employer, building owner or other authorized figure in South Carolina must take thorough precautions when performing a renovation or construction project on a building that contains asbestos. Any type of careless action can disturb the asbestos, releasing it into the air where it can then be inhaled. This type of negligent asbestos exposure can have perilous health outcomes. An individual who knows that he or she has been exposed to this toxic substance may want to collect as much information as possible on the matter, as it may be useful should it be necessary to pursue compensation in the future.