Asbestos Exposure and Steelworkers
Asbestos
exposure hazards in the United States have primarily been centered on
industrial sites and occupations. Such occupations would include those
working in manufacturing plants, power plants, chemical plants, and
paper mills, just to name a few. The use of asbestos was so widespread
that nearly every occupation involving construction, design, or
manufacturing had exposure to asbestos in at least one form or another.
In particular, the steel industry was an occupation that exposed workers
to asbestos on a daily basis.
Reports have shown that the risk
of lung cancer and mesothelioma among steelworkers is especially present
in construction, shipyards, and the automotive industry. In most cases,
this can be attributed to the use of asbestos on hot equipment such as
furnaces, boilers, generators, and pipes. Other uses for asbestos that
often exposed steel workers included roofing materials, siding,
insulation, and more.
One of the most damaging concerns for
employees in the steel industry is pleural mesothelioma, a rare form of
cancer that develops in the mesothelial lining of the lungs. The latency
period associated with this disease makes it especially harmful because
workers may have already contracted the illness and have yet to
experience any symptoms. As a result, most cases are diagnosed in the
latest stages of development, which often limits mesothelioma treatments
to palliative measures rather than curative.
Most industrial
occupations used asbestos because it was cheap and readily available.
The heavy use or exposure to the substance has even affected those who
did not directly work with the toxic mineral. Employees working near the
mineral would often inhale floating asbestos fibers or carry home
asbestos dust on their skin and clothes. This not only exposed workers
employed at the site, but family members at home as well.
Though
the dangers of asbestos have been known for quite some time, industrial
occupations, such as those in the steel industry, have continued to use
the toxic mineral. Even today, more than 30 years after the U.S.
government issued warnings about the use of asbestos, individuals are
still being diagnosed with asbestos-related diseases. If you have worked
at a steel producing facility or another industrial site, you may have
been exposed to this dangerous substance and should seek a pulmonary
checkup from your doctor.
For more resources on asbestos, the
various forms of asbestos cancer, and other illnesses caused by asbestos
exposure, please visit our links page to get to the Mesothelioma Cancer
Center.