For decades throughout the 20th Century, asbestos was a go-to material across construction, shipbuilding, and manufacturing because of its strength and resistance to heat and corrosion. Unfortunately, the same fibers that made it so useful have also made it deadly. Inhaled asbestos can become lodged in the lungs, leading to diseases such as asbestosis, mesothelioma, and lung cancer years—or even decades—after initial exposure.
You should know whether you or your loved one, was occupationally exposed to asbestos in occupations where routine and frequent exposure to asbestos occurred.
Who is at risk for Asbestos-Related Disease Today?
In addition to those who worked with and around asbestos-containing products over the past decades, existing materials in older buildings, vehicles, ships, and equipment remain in place. Workers in a variety of fields have and possibly continue to face a risk of exposure, especially when asbestos-containing products were or are disturbed and become airborne.
The danger doesn’t come from casual contact, but from inhaling airborne asbestos fibers, which became a health threat during the repair, maintenance, and working around equipment that contained asbestos, in buildings that employed asbestos products, and on ships, including both naval and merchant vessels, which were laden with asbestos. The risk level varies depending on one’s occupation; however, there is no known level of asbestos exposure that is considered safe. That being said, more than a day or two of exposure is required to cause disease.
Post 1972, employers were required to follow federal safety standards set by OSHA and the states, but lapses in training, equipment, or oversight have and continue to put workers at risk.
While newer construction is less likely to contain asbestos, any structure built before the 1980s may have asbestos in it. Without proper containment and respirators, workers can unknowingly breathe in dangerous particles.
Shipyard and Maritime Workers
Asbestos played a major role in shipbuilding and overhaul throughout much of the 20th century. Ships contained asbestos, not just in the engineering spaces where equipment such as valves, pumps, boilers, turbines and smaller items such as strainers and steam traps used asbestos components both inside and outside of the equipment. Bulkheads and walls on ships often contained an asbestos paneling. Of course, insulated piping and equipment were often asbestos containing as well. Shipyard workers, particularly those involved in maintenance and repair, often worked in confined spaces filled with asbestos components.
Additionally longshoreman who worked along docks and on ships repairing cargo have also been exposed to asbestos for many decades.
Sailors, mechanics, and engineers who served on older vessels were likely exposed, at times without knowing it, to heavy amount of asbestos dust, without ever being warned that (1) products contained asbestos and (2) that asbestos inhalation was dangerous and could cause cancer.
Even today, maritime maintenance crews who refurbish older commercial or military ships remain vulnerable if they aren’t following strict safety measures.
Industrial and Factory Workers
Many, many manufacturing processes employed asbestos – both in products and equipment as well as in the buildings and production equpment themselves. Workers in older industrial plants faced elevated asbestos risks. Moreover, manufacturing facilities once relied on asbestos to insulate high-heat machinery such as furnaces, ovens, and boilers.
Specific industries exposed workers to asbestos such as paper mills, steel mills, tire manufacturing facilities, automotive and motorcycle manufacturing plants, plastic molding facilities, baking facilities, farm equipment manufacture and repair and in power generating stations for all types of power from fossil fuels to nuclear facilities.
Asbestos also appeared in the equipment used to manufacture products such as conveyor belts which involved gaskets, brake pads, and electrical panels. Maintenance crews in these environments often handled old equipment, potentially disturbing asbestos in the process. Poor ventilation and long hours inside enclosed factory buildings only increase the likelihood of exposure.
Construction Workers and Demolition Crews
Into the 1980s, many, many products used in both new construction and renovation contained asbestos. Products which contained asbestos – many of which were never revealed as containing the same, included roofing products, drywall compounds, fire rated drywall, vinyl asbestos floor tile, some ceiling tiles in drop ceilings, acoustical plaster used for insulation or sound-deadening, window glazing and much more. These products rarely showed ingredients and thus no one knew both that a product contained asbestos or that asbestos was dangerous when inhaled.
When in use, these products often emitted dust and fiber into the air which was inhaled by unknowing, innocent workers.
In buildings today routinely contain asbestos products. If disturbed or abraded, the asbestos fibers become airborne and inhaled.
Electricians and Plumbers
Tradespeople such as electricians and plumbers frequently encounter asbestos while cutting into walls, ceilings, or crawl spaces.
Older homes and commercial buildings often contain asbestos-insulated wiring, pipe wraps, and heating systems. Plumbers may disturb asbestos insulation wrapped around hot water pipes, while electricians might come across asbestos in fuse boxes or electrical panels.
Because their work requires physical manipulation of older infrastructure, these trades are at particular risk if proper precautions aren’t taken.
Millwright, Machinists, Steamfitters, Plumbers, HVAC Mechanics and Electricians
Tradespeople who worked on equipment which contained asbestos often were the most heavily exposed to asbestos. Use of gaskets, packing, asbestos rope, boiler cements, plumbing putties, switchgear and contactors contained asbestos. In addition to the installation, maintenance and repair of equipment, these types of tradespeople also cut through roofs, walls and floors which contained asbestos as well. Tradespeople who worked in attics and crawlspaces often were further exposed to asbestos.
Older homes and commercial buildings often contain asbestos-insulated wiring, pipe wraps, and heating systems. Plumbers may disturb asbestos insulation wrapped around hot water pipes, while electricians might come across asbestos in breaker boxes or electrical panels.
Even today, because their work requires physical manipulation of older infrastructure, these trades are at particular risk if proper precautions aren’t taken.
Auto Mechanics
Automotive work also involved asbestos exposure, especially for those who serviced vehicles specifically working with brakes, clutches and automotive gaskets.
Into the late 1980s and even into the 1990s, brake pads, clutches, and gaskets were made with asbestos due to its ability to resist high heat. Inspection, grinding and replacing these parts can release fibers into the air. Many long-term mechanics may have experienced exposure throughout their careers, especially before the health risks became widely known.
Exposure to asbestos from cars and trucks was not limited to those who worked as or around auto mechanics. Throughout the decades a popular hobby was working on and racing cars. Even hanging with friends on the weekends while going to the racetracks, streets racing or just those who liked to take apart cars and rebuild them have similar exposure to asbestos as the auto mechanics. If one worked at a car dealership or a service station but not directly hands-on with the cars, they often were just as heavily exposed to asbestos as the mechanics themselves.
Military Veterans
Many veterans, especially those who served in the Navy or worked in military construction, were exposed to asbestos during their service.
Ships, submarines, barracks, and aircraft all contained asbestos containing equipment and parts. Veterans who worked in maintenance or engineering roles often had prolonged exposure, and many have developed asbestos-related diseases later in life. This exposure continued in the military well into the 1980s.
Today, many veterans face challenges receiving benefits for asbestos-related conditions unless they can prove the connection to their service.
Unique Professions Which Employed Asbestos
Asbestos was hidden in many jobs which one would never think of as being a source of exposure. Some examples are dental lab workers and dentists, who in dental school learned to make old fashioned fillings used asbestos dental tape and cloth in countertop asbestos-insulated ovens. Jewelers often used the same methods in casting settings and melting precious metals.
People who worked in chemical labs – from chemical manufacturing facilities to teachers – were often exposed to asbestos lab items such as finger cots, asbestos powdered filter, tongs and more which all contained asbestos.
Nurses and doctors wore talc containing gloves where the talc contained asbestos. Picture an emergency room nurse who changes gloves between each and every patient or surgeons who takes these gloves on and off throughout a day of surgery.
There is an endless list of occupations where people were both knowingly and unknowingly exposed to asbestos.
Protecting Today’s Workers from Exposure
The good news is that awareness about asbestos has led to better regulations, training, and protective equipment. Employers must follow OSHA guidelines, which require hazard communication, personal protective equipment, and containment strategies for any work involving asbestos.
Licensed abatement teams are now used to remove asbestos safely, and workers are trained to recognize warning signs before starting a job.
Still, incidents happen when corners are cut, or older buildings aren’t properly surveyed before work begins. The safest course of action is always preparing materials before demolition, wearing appropriate respirators, and containing the workspace to prevent fibers from spreading.
While asbestos exposure has declined thanks to better laws and practices, it remains a very real risk in several industries. Construction workers, shipyard employees, factory laborers, tradespeople, mechanics, firefighters, and veterans all share a common thread: they’ve faced higher odds of encountering asbestos in the course of doing their jobs.
For many, that exposure didn’t seem dangerous at the time, but the consequences can surface years later in the form of serious illness.
At Laffey Bucci D’Andrea Reich & Ryan, we believe that understanding these risks and taking preventive steps is the best way to protect today’s workforce and support those already affected.
If you or a loved one has been exposed to asbestos on the job, we can help.