Jobsite Asbestos Exposure
For decades, asbestos enjoyed widespread use in a number of different industries. Often dubbed the "miracle mineral", it was lauded for its heat- and fire-resistant properties and the fact that it was an inexpensive material made its use even more viable for those who were looking to save a few dollars here and there.
Though the dangers of asbestos weren't immediately apparent to everyone who used the mineral in manufacturing or other applications, before long, many company executives knew of its hazards - long before the information was divulged to the general public - yet they allowed employees to continue working with the mineral without benefit of any sort of protection. Thus, those who worked with asbestos often inhaled its dangerous fibers while on the job. Decades later, these same individuals have paid the price of this carelessness, developing a host of pulmonary diseases caused by jobsite asbestos exposure, including mesothelioma, a fatal cancer that attacks the lining of the lungs.
Individuals who worked in particular industries were at higher risk than others and, today, these industries demonstrate the highest rates of mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases. They include:
- Contractors/construction workers - The building industry has suffered greatly from asbestos use. Those affected include insulators, roofers, tile layers, drywallers, and a host of others who worked with asbestos-containing products while building America's homes, schools, and commercial buildings.
- Shipbuilders - The industry most affected by asbestos use, shipbuilders were literally surrounded by asbestos, which was widely used in ships built prior to 1980. At especially high risk are those who worked in the shipyards of America during World War II and the Korean Conflict, when asbestos use was at its highest.
- Miners - Those who toil in asbestos, vermiculite, or taconite mines regularly inhale asbestos or asbestos-like fibers.
- Power plant workers - Myriad "hot" equipment in power plants was wrapped with asbestos, including boilers, turbines, and generators. Damaged asbestos was easily inhaled.
- Railroad workers - Asbestos has been used regularly in the railroad industry since the initiation of the steam engine and continued in diesel trains. Asbestos could be found wrapped around boilers, lining railroad cars, or in brakes and clutches.
- Oil refinery workers - Because much equipment in oil refineries is kept at high temperatures, asbestos was widely used to prevent fires.
- Auto mechanics - For decades, brakes and clutches contained asbestos and auto repair technicians who worked with these parts often breathed in asbestos dust.
- Asbestos product manufacturers - Men and women who worked in factories that made products containing asbestos were often likely to inhale dangerous fibers while on the job.
- Steel mills - Asbestos was used in thermal insulation products in steel mills around the world.