Robert Pullman is the newest hero in the fight for safety in the workplace. For over 25 years, Pullman was an exhibit specialist for the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum in Washington D.C.

Last year, he and the other employees were informed for the first time that the walls they had been drilling into for decades contained asbestos. Every time that Pullman and his coworkers would update or change out an exhibit, drilling would release asbestos fibers into the air without any protective equipment or precautions.

Seeking justice, Pullman contacted the Washington Post and told them about the asbestos danger. He also filed several workplace safety complaints, for which he was reprimanded. He even took private air and dust samples to test for asbestos.

Soon after, Pullman was diagnosed with asbestosis, a form of lung disease linked to asbestos exposure.  He took legal action against the Smithsonian Institute that ended in a substantial settlement and severance pay, retraction of the negative letters in his file, the launching of a more extensive investigation into the health hazards in the Smithsonian buildings, and the implementation of better, safer policies.

It is brave, driven employees like Pullman who make the world a safer place for their coworkers. Despite opposition from his employer, Pullman persevered in his pursuit of justice. Workers should not have to worry about the safety of their work environment. Partly due to Pullman’s efforts, Smithsonian exhibit employees will now receive more comprehensive asbestos training and safety equipment, as well as access to a physician contracted by the company.

There is a new organization in the United Kingdom dedicated to aiding people with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). This group, called Breathe Easy, works with COPD suffers to improve their quality of life.

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There are a number of diseases that can be categorized as a COPD including chronic bronchitis, asbestosis, and emphysema.

Chronic breathing difficulties can impact all facets of a person’s day-to-day doings. People afflicted with COPD often have trouble catching their breath, and may be unable to walk more than a few dozen yards without getting winded. Barry Chawner, chairman of Breathe Easy, could only walk 50 yards at a time without getting winded— after completing the course, he can do up to a quarter mile.

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A study published in Occupational and Environmental Medicine has found that those who worked in asbestos textile plants between the 1950s and 1970s face a significantly higher risk of lung cancer and death due to chrysotile asbestos exposure.

While asbestos has previously been linked to an increased risk of lung cancer, mesothelioma, and asbestosis, this study specifically looked at four North Carolina plants that produced textile products with chrysotile asbestos. Chrysotile asbestos is the most commonly used form of the industrial fiber, and amosite and crocidolite are two lesser-used forms of the material.

The current study compared the asbestos exposure and medical histories of 5,770 workers who had been employed at the four North Carolina plants between 1950 and 1973. Of this group, more than 2,500 died during the study period; 277 of these deaths were from lung cancer. The plant workers rate of lung cancer was 95 percent higher than that of the general population, and their rate of death from all causes was 45 percent higher.

The findings of the study could drastically change policy decisions currently being made about the deregulation of chryostile asbestos.

Asbestos exposure can lead to many adverse side effects including lung cancer and gastrointestinal cancer, asbestosis and  mesothelioma.Workers exposed to asbestos and who have been diagnosed with one of these maladies could be entitled to financial compaensation and should contact an asbestos attorney about a mesothelioma lawsuit.