Asbestos, a group of naturally occurring silicate materials, is notoriously known to be dangerous to inhale, even having the ability to cause cancer, such as mesothelioma. Mesothelioma is a cancer that is caused from breathing in asbestos fibers. Although it is a rare form of cancer, it has a poor prognosis and is very terrible to endure. There are specific occupations associated with asbestos and if you worked doing one or any of these jobs you were most likely exposed to the hazardous material.
Occupations Associated with Asbestos – Insulators
Insulators were commonly exposed to asbestos as the material was widely used in the insulation industry because it was light, inexpensive, heat resistant, and flexible, making it almost the perfect insulation material. The problem is insulators had to handle the asbestos and therefore were breathing it in throughout the day every day. It is thought that the longer the exposure, the more likely someone is to develop an asbestos-related disease. Additionally, a lot of homes built before 1980 were filled with asbestos insulation. If a homeowner decides to renovate their home and is unaware of this, they could disturb the asbestos, exposing themselves to it.
Construction Workers
Another occupation associated with asbestos is construction. Asbestos can be found in many materials and products used in construction, such as drywall, paint, and shingles. Before the dangers of asbestos were made clear to the public, masonry workers would mix raw asbestos into compounds for bricks. When the bricks were later demolished, the asbestos fibers were disturbed then released into the air, exposing construction workers to the material. Drywall workers tended to add asbestos to joint compound drywall products. Also, drywall tape commonly had asbestos in it. A lot of paints and textured products such as popcorn ceilings contain asbestos. Some of the manufacturers that produced asbestos containing products include Johns Manville, Owens Corning, and Brunswick Fabrications.
Pipefitters
Anyone who worked as a pipefitter or plumber was probably exposed to asbestos and could be at risk of developing mesothelioma or another asbestos-related disease. These are occupations associated with asbestos since it was almost the perfect material to protect the surrounding areas from pipes and plumbing as it is flexible, heat resistant, water resistant, and inexpensive. Some products that asbestos was used in that would affect pipefitters and plumbers were insulation, pipe cement, and joint compounds.
Electricians
To this day, electricians are exposed to asbestos when they repair wiring that is already in place in buildings where asbestos was heavily used. Some products that electricians encounter that may contain asbestos include turbines, generators, cable wraps, and hot water tanks. Some companies associated with these asbestos products include General Electric, Westinghouse Electric, and Union Carbide.
Occupations Associated with Asbestos – Auto Mechanics
Another occupation associated with asbestos is auto mechanic. Auto mechanics were commonly exposed to the material as it was used in the brake pads, clutches, and other things. Not only could those who worked in the industry be affected, but also hobbyists who like to work on their cars.
Welders
Based on the properties of asbestos that I previously described, it is intuitive that asbestos was used in welding. It protected workers from extreme heat. However, when the welding was taking place, the heat could break down the material and cause asbestos to be released into the air, exposing welders to the carcinogen.
If you or a loved one has had any of the occupations listed above, and has developed an asbestos-related disease, such as mesothelioma, please call 1 (800) 505-6000. For more information or for legal help, fill out our form.
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