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April 02, 2012
Uniondale, New York - A few weeks after complaints surfaced from employees of the Nassau Coliseum who feared for their health due to asbestos exposure inside the facility, preliminary reports have dubbed the building safe for patrons, though asbestos was indeed found in areas that are frequented by staff.
According to a follow-up report in Newsday, an inspection last weekend by J.C. Broderick and Associates of Hauppauge found asbestos in private stairwells and corridors, in an ice plant room, and in a tunnel below the exhibition hall. Each of those locations is used primarily by maintenance staff at the Long Island facility, the article pointed out.
Those areas were immediately isolated, inspectors reported, and a remediation plan was put in place late last week. Signs were posted to keep staff and others from entering the contaminated areas.
Still, an attorney for the 75 Nassau Coliseum employees who are suing for asbestos exposure maintains that the problem is much more widespread than the inspection indicates. Many of these individuals – electricians, carpenters, mechanics, plumbers, and general laborers – claim to have already gotten sick from exposure to asbestos. They cite the case of a Zamboni driver who, after 30 years on the job, has malignant mesothelioma. Another, a laborer who was charged with the task of sweeping floors, has Stage 4 lung cancer.
According to the first set of results of testing performed on samples taken from various parts of the building (which were revealed about three weeks ago), there was also asbestos on a catwalk above the arena, on a loading dock where employees often eat their meals, and in other locations around the facility. Some of these areas were tested by Broderick; others will be tested shortly, according to building managers.
In the meantime, employees remain concerned about asbestos exposure. Asbestos is a known carcinogen that enjoyed widespread use in building materials until the late 1970s. Facilities constructed around the same time as the Nassau Coliseum often contain myriad asbestos-containing materials like tiles, insulation, and cement. Exposure to the dust from these products can lead to the development of all sorts of respiratory problems, including the formation of cancerous tumors and a diagnosis of mesothelioma.
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