Brake mechanics install and repair brakes on automobiles. For several decades brake shoes contained asbestos to help control the heat created by the friction of braking. When brake shoes were ground during installation and when brake drums were cleaned of dust using air hoses, high levels of airborne dust were released. This dust also collected in the brake drum and became air borne during the replacement of old brake shoes with new shoes. Asbestos is hazardous when it is in the form of tiny dust particles and is breathed into the lungs. These are the conditions that lead to the development of mesothelioma several decades after exposure.
