Asbestos Inadvertently Leads to Tragic Death of New York Firefighters, Injures 115
In August 2007, a fire engulfed the 17th floor of the Deutsche Bank building in New York City. By the time firefighters got the blaze under control, the inferno had raged for more than six hours, spread to ten floors, injured more than a hundred people, and killed two firefighters. Now, state prosecutors have taken three construction supervisors to trial for failing to timely fix a 42-foot gap of standpipe, depriving the firefighters of the water that might have saved their lives.
Some experts suggest, however, that the firefighters’ cause of the death wasn’t fire and their lack of access to water, but rather smoke inhalation. Specifically, they point to the polyurethane sheets that asbestos removal workers had hung in an effort to isolate aerosolized asbestos. In the fire, these sheets became a deadly maze, trapping toxic levels of carbon monoxide in tightly confined plastic rooms.
The dangers of asbestos removal are considerable. As the Deutsche Bank building tragedy suggests, fires are particularly hazardous for asbestos removers because of the possibility that the plastic walls intended to keep workers safe actually work to make them more susceptible to smoke inhalation.
Do you work in asbestos removal? You should talk to the asbestos injury experts at Fears | Nachawati. We understand the risks you face. Your rights deserve protection! For a free consultation, call 1.866.705.7584 or send an email to
info@fnlawfirm.com.