Asbestos Exposure – Job Sites, Occupations and Exposure Sites
While we are all exposed to asbestos over the course of our lives, there are certain factors that increase the risk of mesotheileoma. The largest mesotheileoma risk factor is occupation. People who were employed in occupations and at job sites where asbestos was processed and used are at the highest risk of developing mesotheileoma, asbestosis and other asbestos-related cancers and diseases.
Occupations at High Risk of Asbestos Exposure
The incidence of mesotheileoma is highest among people involved in certain occupations. Those occupations include construction and demolition workers, shipyard workers, insulation installers, power plant workers and, surprisingly, teachers.
Construction Industry
Because asbestos was so widely used in so many products in the construction industry, nearly anyone who worked in construction before 1980 was probably heavily exposed to asbestos. Those at particular risk are those who cut and put up drywall, mixed joint compound and worked regularly with powdered asbestos adhesives and coatings. Many of those products contained asbestos which was released either when the powdered mix was dumped into buckets to be reconstituted, or when the drywall compound or adhesive was sanded. Any worker who was regularly in the area while those activities were being done is also at high risk for having been exposed to asbestos.
In addition, anyone who was involved in renovation and repair of older buildings is also at risk for having been exposed to asbestos. This is particularly true of do-it-yourself renovations and of those who worked for small renovation companies that may not have been aware that they were disturbing asbestos in their work.
Plumbing and Pipefitting
Plumbers and pipefitters for heating, plumbing and other uses are also at high risk of exposure to asbestos. Nearly all insulation used around pipes and joints before 1980 contained asbestos, and some of the most dangerous products containing asbestos were used for insulating pipes. Custodial workers and furnace and boiler repairmen were also likely to have been exposed to airborne asbestos while removing and replacing insulation and lagging around boilers and pipes.
Shipbuilding and Dockworkers
Asbestos use was widespread in shipbuilding. In fact, the U.S. standards for shipbuilding included the use of asbestos containing materials in nearly every stage of shipbuilding. Any person who worked in a shipyard where ships were being built, overhauled or repaired is at risk of exposure to asbestos. This risk continues to this day for those who are involved in the demolition and dismantling of older ships. It is vital that any workers who are involved in dismantling or otherwise destroying older ships use all recommended safety precautions when working with materials that may contain asbestos.
Miners
Those who mined and processed asbestos were exposed to asbestos dust and have one of the highest reported incidences of mesotheileoma. In addition, there is a high rate of mesotheileoma among miners who mined or processed vermiculite and iron in the Iron Range of Minnesota. In some cases, this is due to the natural contamination of other ores with asbestos. It has also been speculated that miners may be exposed to asbestos used in making the equipment with which they work.
Teachers
Teachers are among the occupations that are at highest risk for mesotheileoma, though the route of exposure is uncertain. The most likely theory is that they were exposed in the schools where they work as older buildings deteriorated and asbestos was released into the air.
Brake Mechanics
Asbestos is used in brake linings to this day. Mechanics who work with brakes and open brake housings are routinely exposed to asbestos dust that collects in the housing as the brake linings are worn down. It is vital that brake mechanics follow safety precautions when working on brakes to avoid inhaling asbestos dust.
Machinists
Those who regularly worked with and maintained manufacturing machines may have been regularly exposed to asbestos while working with and maintaining their machines because many of those machines contain parts that were made with asbestos.
Job Sites
Asbestos was used at thousands of job sites across the country. Many of the companies that owned those sites have faced mesotheileoma lawsuits alongside the manufacturers of asbestos containing materials. In some cases, the manufacturing, processing and mining facilities for asbestos may have created unsafe conditions for all of those that lived in their vicinity. Those job sites include construction sites, shipyards, power plants, manufacturing plants
W.R. Grace Co. is one of the companies that is most notorious in mesotheileoma lawsuits. Grace mined vermiculite and produced vermiculite insulation as late as 1994. Their flagship product was loose vermiculite insulation that was meant to be used as attic insulation. The bulk of the vermiculite used in their products was mined at Libby, Montana, a mine that was naturally contaminated with high levels of asbestos. Investigation has shown that Grace Co. was aware of the high asbestos levels in the vermiculite mined at Libby, but did nothing to warn workers, customers and residents of the nearby town of the danger. The mesotheileoma rate for residents of Libby is exponentially higher than it is for the rest of the company. In addition, Grace delivered vermiculite mined at Libby to processing plants throughout the United States. Workers who processed Libby vermiculite and those who lived within a mile of any of those processing plants are at increased risk for asbestos-related diseases.
World Trade Center
The World Trade Center buildings that were destroyed were built with steel beams and girders treated with asbestos as a fireproofing measure. It’s been estimated that the destruction of those buildings released tons of asbestos and other toxic chemicals into the air. First responders to the WTC disaster and those who live and work within a mile of the area have already started showing a high rate of lung conditions, and many have been diagnosed with asbestosis and mesotheileoma, far earlier than is usually expected in cases of asbestos exposure. There is a special organization devoted to dealing with the health concerns of those who were exposed to hazardous chemicals, including asbestos, because of the destruction of the World Trade Center buildings.
