There are many job sites that are associated with asbestos. Asbestos is a naturally occurring silicate material and it is very harmful to inhale. Breathing in asbestos can lead to cancer, such as mesothelioma. Some of these industries include power plants, shipyards, oil refineries, heavy industries, construction, vehicle repair, chemical plants and more. Asbestos was used in many job sites because it was very affordable and was used as an insulator.
Until the 1970s, asbestos was used a lot in ship construction. A lot of ships used asbestos in the pipe insulation and boiler rooms as well as felt wrapping in pipes. In shipyards, repair and maintenance work was done in rooms with poor ventilation.
Chemical companies utilized asbestos in many situations, including for equipment, machinery and buildings. Since asbestos is a good insulator to heat, it was used to help stop fires from occurring at these plants. The protective clothing that workers wore also contained asbestos.
Many oil refineries used asbestos because oil refining uses high heat and chemicals, and the material was used in order to protect the machinery. Another product in oil refineries that very well may have contained asbestos was gaskets.
Power plants also contained a lot of asbestos materials. Since asbestos is resistant to heat and electricity, it was used to protect the machines from environments with high heat. The material was also used as insulation and the clothing that the workers wore often had asbestos on it.
Steel mills also used asbestos containing materials. Steel molds, ovens and boilers normally had asbestos on them, because it aided in making things lightweight as well as being resistant to high temperatures. The protective clothing that the workers wore also contained asbestos.
Asbestos was also used in the automobile industry. Many car parts contained asbestos due to it being a good insulator, lightweight and resistant to heat. Asbestos was used in the paint and fiberglass of the cars as well as gaskets, clutches and brakes. People who continue to work as auto mechanics as well as those who buy cars are still at risk of being exposed even to this day.
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