American aircraft manufacturer Boeing is currently facing several lawsuits alleging that workers were exposed to chemicals while working in its factories, leading to birth defects in their children.
The Allegations
The lawsuits filed by two separate families claim that the manufacturer did not protect them from exposure to dangerous chemicals despite knowing since the 1980s that the chemicals used in the workplace can cause birth defects. According to a report by NBC’s King5, one of the plaintiffs, Mike Evans, had been working on the B777 line at the company’s production facility in Everett, Washington in 2014. A lawsuit filed by him claims he was exposed to “volatile organic solvents” and “heavy metals” on the job, leading to birth defects in his unborn child. The child’s mother also worked at Boeing and was exposed to toxic chemicals during her pregnancy.
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The Impact
In July 2017, their son was born with Spina Bifida along with other defects and will be “disabled for the rest of his life”. Although Boeing’s Environmental Health & Safety division has implemented policies to reduce employee exposure to toxic chemicals, Evans claims that the “written policies are often not enforced by Boeing’s production managers”.
Other Cases
Meanwhile, Boeing fuel tank seeker John Klemming also filed a lawsuit against the US aircraft manufacturer, asserting that he was exposed to toxic chemicals that resulted in birth defects in his child, rendering him “non-verbal and unable to live an independent existence”. Klemming said that a direct and proximate exposure to developmental toxicants at Boeing, caused his son to be born with OHDO Syndrome, ventricular septal defect, autism, and intellectual disability.
The Aftermath
Birth defects can occur from chemical exposures to the father before conception, and the mother during pregnancy. The toxic chemicals can disrupt the parents’ abilities to reproduce or cause them to pass on damaged and defective DNA to their children. A November 2022 report by law firm Waters, Kraus, and Paul attests that Boeing has known that chemicals in its workplace could cause birth defects, stillbirths, infertility, cancer, and other serious illnesses “since the 1970s”.
Conclusion
These ongoing lawsuits against Boeing highlight a significant issue concerning workplace safety and health risks. It underscores the importance of companies taking responsibility for ensuring a safe working environment for their employees. As these cases progress through the courts, they will undoubtedly bring more attention to these issues and potentially lead to changes in how companies manage chemical exposure in their workplaces.