Asbestos Found in Fire Curtains

A major factor for the popularity of asbestos was its fire-retardant properties. As a result, it was used to make many materials that would protect us from fire. One such product was the Fire Curtain. Fire curtains are used primarily in large theaters and other places, such as warehouses, bingo halls, and businesses as a safety measure. Fire curtains are dropped to extinguish a fire that is burning. Since asbestos fibers are a great fire retardant, they were used to make fire curtains; the fact that asbestos cloth was durable and cost effective made it even more popular.

Asbestos Exposure from Fire Curtains

Today, scientists and researchers have proved beyond doubt that asbestos exposure results in deadly diseases like mesothelioma and asbestosis. Mesothelioma is a rare form of cancer; it affects the lining of the lungs, and is difficult to diagnose as the early symptoms are not unusual or typical. Moreover, it is marked by a long gestation period spanning 20 to 50 years from the original exposure and can be pin-pointed only in the last stages of the manifestation. The mortality rate is therefore high and doctors can only administer palliative measures. Moreover, it is not certain how much exposure, minimal or prolonged, causes the malady. Some patients have reported very little exposure, while those with massive exposure have no adverse effect. But who is to say what will happen as the years pass because the disease has an unpredictably long gestation period; it may rear its ugly head at any point in time.

Fire Curtains Containing Asbestos Fibers

As a result of the ban imposed by the Environmental Protection Agency, the use of fire curtains made out of asbestos fiber is banned. But the harm done in the years of using asbestos containing products reflects in the large number of deaths that continue to be recorded each year owing to mesothelioma and other asbestos-linked diseases. In the U.S. alone, more than 10,000 Americans die each year as the result of asbestos exposure.

It is quite disturbing to know that the dangers of using asbestos-containing material or working with asbestos in any form were ignored when they first came to light in the 1930s when many major companies began testing and researching new products. Owing to selfish commercial interests, the companies that knew of the dangers of asbestos exposure did not inform the workers or the general public about it. As a result, a very large number of employees and consumers were regularly exposed to the naturally produced mineral. Only 20 to 50 years down the line, when the symptoms of the disease were diagnosed and it was found that there was no way to beat the odds did the terrible truth make an impact on the public. The rising indignation culminated in the ban but the harm was already done, and countless number of lawsuits are ongoing in the U.S. courts today.