Claimant is a 52 year old man who completed $11 \frac{1}{2}$ years of high school but did not graduate. After leaving high school, Claimant worked in various labor positions. In the 1970s, he was a gas station attendant and performed general mechanics. In the 1980s, Claimant worked for Hussmann in production for a brief period of time and also worked in the food and bartending industry. Claimant also worked for various construction companies doing mainly new commercial construction. Claimant began working for Employer as a general laborer in 1992 and worked until September 15, 1998. He has not worked since that time. Before working for Employer, Claimant never had any medical problems. He never had breathing problems, sinus problems, allergies or gastrointestinal problems. Claimant was an avid runner. Employer is in the business of repairing parking garages. Claimant operated jackhammers which ranged from 30 to 60 pounds. He used the jackhammer to break up concrete. Claimant also performed gunniting work, which involved mixing dry sand, cement, and microsilica, and then spraying the mixture onto the ceiling in a wet form. While working for Employer, Claimant also occasionally worked with a bonding agent called Armatec, and worked on deck coating jobs. Working on deck coating jobs involved removing old concrete, then cleaning before applying primer, basecoat, intermediate and top coat. When he applied deck coating, he had to mix basecoat, which produced fumes that gave him headaches, and caused him to have labored breathing and shortness of breath. It sometimes took his breath away.
The last job Claimant had with Employer was at the Pierre Laclede garage from January 1, 1998 to September 15, 1998. Claimant worked an eight-hour shift, five days a week operating his jackhammer for approximately six hours every day. Claimant did not perform any deck coating work while on the Pierre Laclede project. At the Pierre Laclede project, they started on the top deck with its half wall and cross breeze, and worked their way down the garage.
As they moved down the levels of the Pierre Laclede garage, there were numerous complaints regarding debris on parked cars, so plastic barriers were erected. These barriers were large sheets of plastic which were hung from the roof but not sealed either to the roof or to each other. These barriers were in place for the three months from January to April 1998 and then crews began working at night. During the night shifts the workers used a ventilating fan.
There was excessive dust on the Pierre Laclede project. About a one-inch thick layer of dust accumulated on the floor, and there were times when the dust was so thick that the workers could not see someone jackhammering within a few feet of them. Workers were provided with 3M paper dust masks but Claimant went through as many as six masks in a single shift, and occasionally Employer ran out of masks. While inside the barriers, Claimant's mouth and nose became clogged with dust, and sometimes turned his spit black or gray. Claimant testified that he could taste the microsilica in the concrete, and when he blew his nose black chunks came out. The jackhammers gave off an oil spray which combined with the dust to form a thick material on Claimant's hands and clothes. Toulene was used to wipe down their tools and occasionally they used Toulene to clean their faces. Although Employer's witness, Dave Economon, testified that workers used a product called "Scrubs in a Bucket" to clean their hands and faces, Claimant was not familiar with the product and had never seen it.
While working on the Pierre Laclede project, Claimant began to notice he was developing breathing problems and feeling run down. He experienced problems with excess mucous, spitting, chest tightness, raspiness of voice, headaches, increased coughing, shortness of breath, decreased stamina, and trouble sleeping. He began to notice severe breathing problems in March 1998, three months after beginning the Pierre
Laclede project. Claimant stopped running at the end of March 1998.
On September 15, 1998, Claimant went to work and began hammering. He became especially fatigued and his breathing was labored, and he had a pain in his throat area. Claimant left work at 4:00 a.m. and tried to do some clean up work, but he felt nauseated and eventually vomited. Claimant then left the job site and drove home, but because he was having breathing problems he responded to the emergency room at Christian Hospital.
At Christian Hospital, Claimant complained of chest pains, lung congestion, and a burning feeling lasting for the preceding six to eight months, as well as double vision, nausea, and dizziness. The clinical impression was acute dyspnea, and he was referred to Dr. Mark Wald, a pulmonologist. Claimant also went to his primary care physician, Dr. Knapp, with complaints of chronic bronchitis for the preceding six months and was referred to Dr. Wald.
Claimant saw Dr. Wald on September 14, 1998, for complaints of troubled breathing, a burning in chest, congestion, nausea, and headaches. Claimant denied any reflux symptoms. Claimant underwent a pulmonary function test with the impression of mild restrictive ventilatory abnormality. Dr. Wald prescribed Prednisone, but Claimant had a severe psychotic reaction to the medication which required hospitalization at DePaul Health Center. Following his release, Claimant underwent another course of pulmonary function testing on October 15, 1998, which again revealed mild restrictive ventilatory abnormality.
Claimant then sought trea