Asbestos was used very often in a variety of industries until the mid-1970s, when workers, researchers and scientists realized that exposure to asbestos could cause a host of medical issues, including mesothelioma. Mesothelioma is a rare form of cancer that affects the lungs, stomach, heart and other organs.
Workers may have inhaled asbestos while working with it, being near it or using a product that contained asbestos. It was not until many years (often decades) later that the worker would contract mesothelioma.
Asbestos Exposure at Work
There is a greater likelihood that you were exposed to asbestos if you worked in the following industries:
- Shipbuilding – Asbestos was often used for pipe insulation during the first half of the 20th century. Even those that did not work directly with pipes may have been affected because once asbestos particles get into the air, anyone can breathe them in and be negatively affected.
- Military – There have been so many veterans affected by asbestos-related mesothelioma that there is a targeted program facilitated by Veterans Affairs. Virtually anyone who operated machinery before the 1970s has a higher risk of exposure.
- Construction – Construction workers are among those most likely to have been affected by asbestos because of its heavy use as an insulation material. Most buildings built between 1920 and 1980 probably contain asbestos.
- Firefighting – Firefighters are often exposed for the same reason that construction workers are exposed. A fire in any building could release particles, which firefighters could breathe into their lungs.
- Railroad (particularly if around steam engine trains) – Insulation around pipes and boxcars often contained asbestos. Locomotive repair shop workers are also at a higher risk of exposure.
- Factories/manufacturing – Asbestos was sometimes mixed into products that manufacturing plants produced, making exposure very likely for manufacturing workers.
If you or someone you love has contracted mesothelioma due to asbestos exposure, you have legal options. Contact the Fort Worth mesothelioma lawyers at Anderson Cummings for a free consultation.
Call today at (817) 920-9000 or complete a Free Case Evaluation.