NIOSH—the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health—is part of the Department of Labor and works closely in tandem with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to ensure workplace safety in the United States.  NIOSH and mesothelioma have a history together, as the government institution is responsible for much of the research that determined the insidiously devastating health effects asbestos can have on workers exposed to it.

Founded in 1970 by the same act of Congress that introduced OSHA and its regulations to American workplaces, the goals of NIOSH include researching work-related hazards and then taking steps to prevent them. It was research NIOSH conducted, for example, that persuaded OSHA to broaden its former definition of asbestos in regulatory language to include asbestos of all forms, including tremolite asbestos.

Today, the government agency is responsible for conducting a host of scientific research in the field of mesothelioma prevention.  Such topics researched include asbestos exposure prevention, asbestos abatement procedures, and studies on the disease itself.  In addition to these pioneering services, NIOSH also disseminates useful information about best practices regarding the handling of mesothelioma-linked materials.  Workplace guidelines and regulatory recommendations are also provided.

Though it’s merely one organization among many that currently combat this devastating cancer, the historical contributions NIOSH has made to the field of mesothelioma research should not be discounted.

If you think you might have suffered from mesothelioma exposure, it might be a good idea to contact a mesothelioma law firm to try and secure a settlement for your woes.  When researching law firms, you might want to consider the track record of the lawyers who practice there, especially with regard to similar cases in the past.  Though a secured settlement can’t undo the damage asbestos fibers have done, one might go a long way to helping defray the expensive costs associated with treating the disease.