lung cancer is caused by exposure to asbestos or smoking
Exposure to asbestos for a long time has been greatly associated with lung cancer and respiratory diseases. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) classify asbestos workplaces among the hazardous work environments and thus place measures that should be considered when employees are interacting with high levels of asbestos. Cigarette smoking is also known for causing lung cancer as t contains nicotine, which affects the lungs. In this case, there are two possibilities; either lung cancer is caused by exposure to asbestos or smoking and both.
Before determining who is responsible, various factors should be considered. First, it is essential to find the nature of work and the category of asbestos exposure in the workplace. OSHA establishes that employees working in environments with high levels of asbestos should have protective clothing and continuous assessments on the effects of the asbestos on the employees. It is best to assess the level of exposure and determine if the employer-provided protective gear if the employee worked in a highly concentrated environment. Second, I would evaluate how long the employee has been smoking. This is because it may be a more significant contributor to lung cancer.
The fact that the employee has worked in an asbestos environment for a long time is an indicator that the employer may be responsible for lung cancer. However, I believe the employee also bears responsibility in this case because he or she has engaged in smoking cigarettes while aware that it worsens diseases caused by exposure to asbestos. The fact that exposure to asbestos could take a long time up to forty years before the development of any related health complications supports that the worker could be held responsible for the disease.