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this pageAsbestos Exposure in the Workplace
Asbestos exposure is common among those who work in the trades or do manual labor. We suggest that you tell your doctor about your work history at your next checkup if you fall into the high risk categories listed below. In that way, he or she may be on the alert for symptoms of asbestos–related diseases, which often take decades to develop after the initial asbestos exposure (see asbestosis, mesothelioma, and lung cancer for details).
High–risk jobs and settings include:
Insulating,
or any work around insulators who install or remove:
- asbestos pipe covering,
- asbestos block insulation,
- asbestos cement;
- asbestos lagging, or
- Zonolite attic insulation;
Shipbuilding,
which has high levels of asbestos exposure;
- Power plants, refineries and industrial settings where asbestos was used extensively;
Construction
and building trades, where asbestos was incorporated into fireproofing
and many building
materials;
- Pipefitters and plumbers, steamfitters, welders, boilermakers, refractory workers, electricians;
- Manufacturing of asbestos products;
Mining
of talc and vermiculite;
- The textile industry where asbestos was woven into cloth and fabrics, and used in pads;
- Pulp mills and logging camps;
- Auto repair mechanics, where asbestos is part of brake linings and clutches;
Railroad
workers, especially those who repair older locomotive cars or brakes;
and
- Appliance shops, where older asbestos–containing consumer products are dismantled and repaired.
For more information about asbestos exposure in the workplace, see our web site, Asbestos Network (click on Exposure Risks for a listing of effected occupations and a discussion of worker safety issues). If you believe that asbestos exposure has affected you and you are suffering from an asbestos–related disease, please contact us to learn about your legal rights and options. We have almost 20 years of experience in handling asbestos cases and are renown in the area of asbestos law.