Yes, the author mentioned (very briefly) that radium didn't seem to any kind of problem until it killed a rich man. Then it became a national crisis.
The talk about asbestos also reminded me of the modern coal industry, which has been systematically killing poor (mostly West Virginians) for decades, and is an ongoing problem here in the US.
...and then this showed in another forum I frequent (may seem callous/offensive to some, please don't hurt me):