Company President Indicted for Illegal Asbestos Removal -- MesoLink.org -- 07-07-04

The president of an Ohio bedding company was indicted earlier this month for allegedly illegal removal and disposal of asbestos. The president of Nelson Bedding Products allegedly removed asbestos illegally, whilst the plant was still open and in operation with employees still working within the building. He allegedly then went on to dispose of the asbestos improperly, putting himself and other employees at risk of ingesting airborne asbestos fibres.

Over recent years stringent laws have been introduced all over the world with regards to the removal of asbestos within the workplace. Many more regulations have been brought in with regards to the responsibility of employers to check for asbestos safety and protect employees against the dangers of this material.

However, the president of Nelson Bedding Products allegedly contravened a number of these regulations when he allegedly removed and disposed of asbestos illegally and improperly. He allegedly put his employees at risk by running the risk of air contamination through removing the asbestos without following the proper regulations. The case was investigated by a number of agencies, including The Cleveland Area Office of EPAs Criminal Investigation Division, the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Identification and Investigation, the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, and the Mahoning Country Air Pollution Control Agency.

Improper removal and disposal of asbestos can result in contamination of the air through airborne asbestos fibres. Ingestion of these fibres can cause a number of related diseases, including the deadly cancer mesothelioma.