Occupations at Risk
The only known cause of mesothelioma is exposure to airborne asbestos. Workers often were not informed that they were working around asbestos. Almost anyone who has inhaled asbestos dust is at risk. Families can be at risk because asbestos was carried on clothing before protective measures were introduced.
Exposure to asbestos dust has occurred at major construction job sites, in shipyards, in industry, and during construction or renovation of commercial buildings.
Basically all trades of construction workers
- insulators, boilermakers, laborers, steel/ironworkers, plumbers, steam
- fitters, plasterers, drywallers, cement and masonry workers, roofers, tile/linoleum installers,
- carpenters, HVAC mechanics and welders
Flight industry
- aerospace and missile production workers
- aircraft manufacturing production workers
- aircraft mechanics
Textile industry
- textile mill workers while weaving it into cloth
- protective clothing and glove makers
Automobile industry
- automobile manufacturing production workers
- automobile mechanics and brake repairers
- brake and clutch manufacturing and assembly workers
Electrical workers
- electricians
- electrical linemen
- telephone linemen
Shipyard workers
- laggers
- painters
- pipe fitters
- maintenance workers, and
- welders
- Coast Guard personnel, merchant mariners, longshoremen, and
- U.S. Navy personnel who worked and lived in ships
Other occupations at risk
- building engineers
- building material products manufacturers
- demolition and wrecking crews
- custodians
- cement plant production workers
- sheetmetal workers
- insulation manufacturing plant workers
- refinery workers
- machinists
- packing and gasket manufacturing plant workers
- powerhouse workers
- railroad workers
- refractory products plant workers
- rubber workers, and
- warehouse workers
