Occupations Associated with Asbestos and Mesothelioma Cancer

Occupations associated with asbestos and mesothelioma cancer include construction, shipbuilding, manufacturing, laboring, and more. Many businesses used asbestos to protect facilities and products from excessive heat or destructive fires. This resulted in exposure in workers and resulting illnesses and lawsuits.

If you’ve been diagnosed with mesothelioma, asbestosis, or asbestos-related lung cancer, you may be entitled to substantial compensation. Fill out our form to receive our free Financial Compensation Packet. Our packet is loaded with information on experienced mesothelioma attorneys in your area, how to file a claim for asbestos trust funds, how to get paid in 90 days, and more. 

As Western Europe and the U.S. became more industrialized and built more factories and power plants, asbestos use increased significantly.

By the turn of the 20th Century, asbestos was in power generation plants, steel mills, shipyards, automobile factories, and the construction industry. Eventually, asbestos could even be found in textiles and certain types of clothing.

Asbestos affected almost every manufacturing, transportation, and power generation occupation. As early as the 19th Century, workers in the minerals extraction business were exposed to asbestos fibers, even mining for gold, silver, iron, or other materials.

In Minnesota, for instance, iron miners would inadvertently disturb naturally-occurring asbestos deposits when they dug into the earth of the Iron Hills region in their quest for rich iron ore.

When the rich iron deposits were depleted and Minnesota miners turned their attention to extracting an iron-bearing mineral called taconite, they also ran into adjacent asbestos deposits.

Mining

Deliberate mining of asbestos contributed to mesothelioma in workers involved with mineral extraction. Even those that didn’t work in asbestos mines were exposed to natural deposits within those of other minerals.

Until asbestos mining was curtailed in the U.S. during the 1970s and 1980s, many miners worked for W. R. Grace in the vicinity of Libby, Montana, to extract vermiculite, later found to be contaminated with asbestos.

The miners, in turn, were exposed to carcinogenic minerals. Grace sold asbestos-contaminated vermiculite. It shipped the product to processing facilities in nearly every state, exposing millions of factory workers and nearby residents.

Shipbuilding

The shipbuilding industry was a huge consumer of asbestos for decades. This included both commercial and U.S. Navy ships.

Fire at sea is one of the most feared dangers by ships’ captains and crews. Until the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) linked asbestos exposure to mesothelioma in the early 1970s, most vessels built in U.S. shipyards contained large amounts of asbestos.

Ships contained asbestos in nearly every component, from the crows’ nest on the superstructure to the ship’s keel. Pipes, engineering spaces, boilers, and the insulated wiring of a vessel’s electrical system contained asbestos.

Shipfitters, stevedores, boiler room personnel, repair yard workers, engineering officers, and other personnel afloat or ashore were exposed to asbestos fibers. Even the most routine activities on a ship or a dockyard had the potential to stir and release asbestos fibers.

Military

Military personnel, especially those who served during World War II, Korea, and much of the Vietnam War, were also exposed to asbestos during their active duty stints.

Veterans over the age of 65 are in one of the largest demographic groups diagnosed with mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases.

Since the U.S. Navy had the same concerns as civilian maritime enterprises regarding fires at sea, it was a major purchaser of asbestos. All of its ships contained large amounts of asbestos materials.

Consequently, many naval personnel and members of the armed services who traveled on U.S. Navy ships or passed through naval facilities have been diagnosed with mesothelioma. Veterans today have some of the highest rates of mesothelioma.

Personnel with occupational specialties comparable to those in the civilian shipbuilding industry, such as navy repair yard workers, suffered the most exposure. As a result, they tend to develop mesothelioma in more significant numbers than other naval veterans.

Paper Mills

Many people who worked in paper mills were exposed to asbestos daily. Paper mills require pulping materials, preparing them, bleaching them, refining them, coating and drying them, and ultimately packaging them.

While doing these tasks, employees and contractors across the nation were working in buildings insulated heavily with asbestos. Machinery and products used to make paper were also ridden with asbestos.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that most asbestos illness victims contracted the disease while working around equipment in paper mills that contained asbestos, specifically boilers.

Since operating a boiler requires high heating, asbestos protected against heat and fire.

Additionally, simple daily, routine maintenance of the machinery and equipment in paper mills placed workers at risk. For instance, every time a machine was cleaned or maintained, particles and dust would become airborne, containing asbestos fibers.

Lawsuits from former paper mill employees have ensued for several years, including one plaintiff, Henry Barabin, who won a $10 million lawsuit. He was diagnosed with mesothelioma after working at Crown Zellerbach Paper Mill for over 30 years.

Railroad Workers

Although airlines and automobiles are the most popular method of traveling these days, railroads are still used extensively for transporting goods.

The use of railroads and trains dates back several hundred years, and almost every railroad was built using asbestos. The use of asbestos during railroad work was common and exposed many workers and contractors.

Repair workers encountered asbestos fibers and dust whenever they did maintenance work. They risked inhaling asbestos fibers used in crates, brake linings, and clutches.

Inspectors also faced the same dangers each time a train and its parts were inspected. Anyone around railroads for extended periods should seek medical attention immediately.

Construction Workers

Construction workers represent a major portion of mesothelioma victims. Construction work consists of various job functions, such as bricklayers, crane operators, roofers, masons, demolition crews, and more.

Each job function came with the inherent risk of asbestos exposure. For instance, while one worker faced asbestos exposure via shingles or drywall, another faced exposure from electrical panels.

In fact, asbestos was used extensively in almost every construction project in the United States before the EPA regulations.

See also – Asbestos: Home Repair and Remodeling

Factory Workers

Before new technology provided better working environments, factory workers suffered a lot of asbestos exposure in poorly ventilated spaces.

While working alongside each other assembly lines, many factory workers handled asbestos-containing products daily.

In addition to handling the asbestos products, the lathes that spun the products and conveying belts that moved products down the assembly lines were also made with asbestos to prevent friction.

Even if workers were not a part of the assembly line, they still risked asbestos exposure by simply being in a factory.

Office workers, crew leaders, machinists, and supervisors were all at risk of the hazards since asbestos so was prominent in factories across the nation.

Firefighters

Firefighters have one of the most dangerous occupations in the world. They are the heroes who rescue people and risk their own lives while putting out burning buildings and homes.

Aside from the possibility of getting severely injured or even killed while on the job, firefighters also run the risk of inhaling asbestos. As buildings crumble in a fire, they release asbestos fibers.

Insulation Workers

Many homes and commercial buildings were once insulated with asbestos-containing products. In fact, before EPA’s strict regulations, asbestos was used in most homes and buildings built in the United States.

Insulation workers who installed and repaired insulation typically didn’t wear the proper protective gear when working, which places this group of workers at risk of developing an asbestos illness.

Plumbers

Plumbers often repair pipes that were built with asbestos. Asbestos was used frequently in pipe coverings to prevent extremely high temperatures.

Additionally, plumbers may work with and around pipe blocks, cement, gaskets, and welding rods built with asbestos.

Electricians

Electricians are responsible for duties that can constantly expose them to asbestos, including installing, repairing, and maintaining wiring that contains asbestos-filled insulation. They also have the responsibility of cutting through walls and other areas filled with asbestos.

Textile Workers 

Textile workers are also among the many workers that were once exposed to high amounts of asbestos before the EPA’s strict regulation on its use.

To make matters worse, most textile workers physically handled asbestos on a daily basis, releasing toxic asbestos fibers into the air.

Auto Mechanics 

Auto mechanics not only faced asbestos exposure in the past while working, but they’re still at risk when working on brakes, clutches, and other vehicle parts today.

Some manufacturers still use asbestos in their products, and many older cars still have asbestos-containing components.

There are currently numerous asbestos lawsuits against automobile parts manufacturers, many of which are popular nationwide companies still in business today.

Post Office Workers

Several post office buildings were built with asbestos-containing products and materials.

Not only were postal workers in the past in danger of asbestos exposure, but current workers are also at risk when the buildings are not properly maintained.

In recent years, various post offices across the nation have faced hefty OSHA fines for failing to follow required asbestos regulations.

Carpenters

Carpentry work remains a high-risk occupation for asbestos exposure. Most carpentry products manufacturers don’t use asbestos anymore. They are still at risk of exposure when renovating cabinetry and rooms and working on other projects constructed initially with asbestos. 

Part of their job requirements may be to sand, cut through, and remove asbestos products that contain asbestos, such as insulation and tiles.

In the past, some carpenters went home covered in asbestos dust, putting family members at risk of developing asbestos-related diseases via second-hand exposure.

Carpentry work remains an occupation associated with a high risk of developing an asbestos-related illness.

Boiler Workers 

Boilermakers, also known as boiler workers, typically work in extremely high-heat environments and around equipment protected from heat and fire by asbestos products.

In many instances, a boiler worker was required to deliver asbestos-containing materials to processing areas, dispose of asbestos-containing ingredients,  and work in cramped spaces in which asbestos dust permeated throughout the air.

The long-term effects, of course, have left former and retired boilermakers battling life-threatening illnesses, specifically malignant mesothelioma, the disease boilermakers have “been most” diagnosed with.

If you worked in any of these industries, or others that used asbestos, talk to a mesothelioma law firm about your legal options.

Getting Legal Help

Remember, if you’ve been diagnosed with mesothelioma or asbestos-related cancer, there is a good chance you qualify for significant compensation. Don’t forget to fill out our form to get your free Financial Compensation Packet, with information on asbestos and mesothelioma lawyers in your area.