Bladder Cancer and the Railroad

If you’ve been diagnosed with bladder cancer that may be connected to your railroad job A knowledgeable rail accident lawyer can help you seek compensation. The FELA allows railroad workers to obtain damages for intangible effects that have a significant impact on their lives.

Every year the railroads of America transport 30 million passengers to their destinations. They also transport 1.6 billion tonnes of cargo, including food, crude oils, grain vehicles, lumber and chemicals, as well as crushed stones and metal ore. Many of these jobs involve exposure to toxic substances.

Exposure to Toxic Chemicals

Every job comes with a level of risk. It’s up the prospective employee to decide if that risk is worth it. Unfortunately for a lot of railroad workers the risks they are exposed to are much greater than people are aware of when choosing to work on the tracks.

The railroad bladder cancer has been linked to a variety of toxic chemicals, especially those found in diesel exhaust and welding fumes. Welders are at risk of lead poisoning, a carcinogen. When inhaled, lead can cause a variety of health problems, including kidney disease, cancer, and a weakening of the immune system. Welders also have to deal with manganese fumes, which can cause toxicencephalopathy and lung disease. This neurological condition has symptoms that are similar to Parkinson’s.

Diesel exhaust is also a source of carcinogens that can cause lung cancer and COPD. Railroad workers diagnosed with occupational illnesses can claim compensation under FELA regardless of the nature of work.

A dedicated railroad lawyer can help former railroad workers learn about their rights and pursue fair compensation to cover ongoing medical costs and other expenses. Patients might require treatment for the remainder of their lives. This could result in expensive hospital bills and prescriptions. A qualified attorney can work with the physician of the patient to determine the most appropriate course of action for their specific circumstances. This lets them concentrate on their healing while their lawyer ensures your future.

Benzene

Benzene was outlawed in its purest form over 20 years ago, however, it’s still present in solvents and degreasers used by railroad workers. It is a by-product of diesel exhaust, and can be absorbed via the skin. The International Agency for Research on Cancer recognizes benzene as carcinogen. It has been associated with leukemia, acute myeloid leukemia (AML), chronic lymphocytic leukemia, non-Hodgkin lymphoma and multiple myeloma as well as other blood cancers. The poisoning of benzene can cause anemia and alter the immune system, which could lead to autoimmune diseases.

In several studies, benzene exposure and other chemicals that are used in the workplace have been linked to bladder cancer. Other toxins that can increase the likelihood of developing this disease include welding fumes and gases that contain metals, such as manganese and magnesium which are needed in small amounts but may be harmful when inhaled in large amounts. Creosote is a preservative for wood used on railroad ties, which releases toxic fumes. These fumes have been linked to cancers like lung and bladder cancer.

Exposure to benzene can happen when the chemical is breathed in or ingested, aswell via eye and skin contact. It can also occur when someone consumes polluted water. For instance residents of the Northeast Millair neighborhood in Wichita were diagnosed with higher than normal rates of liver cancer because benzene affected the groundwater, and railroad bladder cancer made its way into their drinking water supply.

Welding Fumes

Welding fumes are a mixture of gases and fine particles caused by the fusion process of metals in welding processes such as resistor, arc and laser welding. They can be contaminated by substances such as argon and carbon dioxide. They can contain nickel, chromium or manganese. The composition of welding fumes is based on the type of coating and coatings used on the plate used as the base and the shielding gas. These gases and fine particles cause irritation to the lungs, causing them to narrow and change.

These changes can cause obstruction in the pulmonary system, such as Emphysema. The fumes from welding can also cause siderosis, an accumulation of ferrous iron within the lung. The hexavalent chromium in welding fumes can cause lung cancer exposure to manganese can cause damage to the central nervous system, causing coordination issues and tremors.

Welding fumes are carcinogenic and the World Health Organization has classified it as a Group 2 carcinogen. Exposure to welding fumes may also trigger metal fume sickness, a condition characterized by flu-like symptoms, such as fatigue as well as chills, weakness and fatigue. It can also cause a metallic taste or smell in the mouth. This condition can be prevented by decreasing the amperage of welding and using gas shielding. You can accomplish this by using a fan to extract fumes from the welding area and by standing in front if possible.

Diesel Exhaust

A railroad worker might be exposed to diesel exhaust as a part of their work in machine shops or train yards. This exhaust is referred to as a cancer-causing substance. Inhalation of diesel fumes can also increase a person’s risk of developing lung cancer.

In laboratory tests exposed to the exhaust of diesel engines has been shown to trigger DNA mutations which are essential for the development of cancer. These research studies are difficult to conduct in humans, and it’s hard to determine how much exposure is needed to cause an increased risk of developing cancer.

Additionally, the fumes from diesel engines are also thought to contain other chemicals that can be harmful if inhaled, like oxides of nitrogen (NOx) and volatile organic compounds as well as formaldehyde. The International Agency for Research on Cancer recently classified diesel exhaust as group 1 carcinogen based on evidence for lung cancer, up from its 1988 classification of likely carcinogenic to humans.

The exposure to smoky dust or creosote poses a threat when railroad workers are performing certain tasks. Creosote is an oily, thick smokey liquid that is used to treat railroad wood. It is a carcinogen that is inhaled by people who clean track or treat railroad ties. Exposure to this chemical can cause lung and bladder cancer.