For many years, asbestos fibers were commonly found in a variety of products, from materials used in heavy industry such as thermal insulation and conduit (piping) to such household items as hair dryers and ironing board covers. Some products such as automotive brakes may still contain asbestos fibers today. Most individuals never knew that the products they were using contained asbestos fibers.
Anyone can be a victim of asbestos exposure. Whether you worked with industrial materials, household products, or in a hospital, you may have unknowingly been exposed.
Thousands of employees have been exposed to asbestos through their jobs and have developed serious and life-threatening diseases as a result. Even family members of those working in high-risk occupations are at risk due to the worker coming home with asbestos particles on his or her clothing and hair. People who live near refineries, power plants, factories, shipyards, steel mills, and building demolition sites are also at risk, since asbestos fibers can be released into the environment and contaminate nearby residential neighborhoods.
Asbestos Exposure and the Workplace
In most cases, however, Mesothelioma occurs in the workers themselves, who experience the most prolonged exposure to the toxins. But even short exposure to asbestos fibers can be dangerous. Most of the hazardous exposure occurred prior to the 1980s, before knowledge of the dangerous propensities of asbestos became more widespread. Sadly, the latency period of the disease can be up to forty years or more, so some sufferers may not yet know that they face serious illness as a result of workplace exposure.
The following list identifies some of the people who routinely worked directly with or around asbestos containing products. This list is not all inclusive. If you worked in any of these trades, especially during the time frame 1940 to 1980, you may have been exposed to asbestos-containing products:
Industry and Workplace Asbestos Exposure
- Asbestos Workers
- Aerospace Workers
- Auto Mechanics
- Blacksmiths / Ironworkers
- Boiler Makers
- Brick Masons
- Building Engineers
- Building Inspectors
- Building Managers
- Bulldozer Operators
- Carpenters
- Chemical Technicians
- Clothing Ironers
- Construction Workers
- Contractors
- Crane Operators
- Custodians
- Demolition Workers
- Drafters
- Drywall Tapers
- Electricians
- Fire Fighters
- Floor Coverers
- Former US Navy Personnel
- Furnace Technicians
- Gas Station Attendants
- Glass Factory Workers
- Insulation Workers
- Home Improvement workers
- Hospital Workers
- Laborers
- Loading Dock Workers
- Machinists
- Manufacturing Workers
- Masons
- Merchant Marines
- Material Movers
- Molders
- Mine Workers
- Oil Refinery Workers
- Painters
- Paper Mill Workers
- Pipe Fitters
- Plasterers
- Plumbers
- Power Plant Workers
- Railroad Workers
- Rubber Workers
- Sanders
- Servicemen
- Sheet Metal Workers
- Ship Builders
- Shipyard Builders
- Steam Fitters
- Teachers
- Textile Workers
- Tile Setters
- Warehouse Workers
- Wood Workers
If you are concerned about exposure to asbestos in your workplace, or if you or a loved one suffers from Mesothelioma, take action now to protect your legal rights. For more information or to speak with an experienced Newark, New Jersey asbestos and mesothelioma lawyer, contact Keefe Bartels.