Office of Workers' Compensation Programs (OWCP)
Division of Longshore and Harbor Workers' Compensation (DLHWC)
CHAPTER 3-402 ASBESTOSIS
About 2/3 of all asbestos was used in the construction industry, particularly in ship construction, since asbestos is effective in insulating boilers, steam pipes, hot water pipes and nuclear reactors. Thus, many persons employed in shipyards have been exposed to asbestos. In addition, exposure may occur during the transporting of asbestos, both on board ships and in terminals.
Exposure to asbestos fibers has been epidemiologically linked to a number of human diseases. Asbestosis, diffuse interstitial fibrosis of the lungs' parenchymal tissues, is the most commonly recognized disease related to such exposure. Recent evidence has suggested, however, that asbestosis may be one of the least frequently occurring asbestos related diseases. Asbestos exposure has also been shown to be a causal factor in a variety of pulmonary (pleural and parenchymal) and gastrointestinal disorders. Probably least recognized is the recently established relationship of this mineral fiber to carcinogenesis including the development of mesothelioma and bronchogenic carcinoma.
Mesothelioma, for instance, once an extremely rare human cancer, has been observed in significantly increased incidence in recent years. It is estimated that 85 to 90 percent of all diagnosed mesotheliomas are directly due to asbestos exposure. Some evidence also exists linking asbestos exposure to gastrointestinal carcinoma, but this relationship is less well documented.
An employee may show some evidence of asbestos exposure but not have suffered any harm or impairment. Ferruginous bodies ("asbestos bodies") in the sputum are indicative of exposure but do not demonstrate harm or the presence of active disease. Pleural plaques (on chest x-ray) constitute a typical example of abnormalities (harm) which may not cause any impairment or disability. An employee may also have impairment but no disability. This would occur where the employee has some reduction in pulmonary function but no reduction in earning capacity.
The distinction between disability and impairment is relevant for cases where the time of injury is prior to voluntary retirement. If the time of injury is after retirement, disability means impairment.
In this situation, time limits for filing a claim do not begin to run until the employer submits the required report.
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