I’m address you today about the continued use of asbestos in common products used and handled by labor workers, and the continued health risks this poses to these workers. Florida has a long history with the use of asbestos from shipyards, oil refineries, and five asbestos processing plants which increased Florida’s asbestos-related death rate to rank second in the nation for those who lost their lives to mesothelioma, lung cancer, and asbestosis. Asbestos is banned in more than 55 countries worldwide, however, it is still continued to be used in Asia, Russia, and the U.S. Products can be made with asbestos if the contents are less than 1 percent which include brake pads, home insulation, roofing material, cement piping, and some potting soils.
