Asbestos Exposure on the Job

Since its creation, asbestos has been used in a variety of different ways by a number of occupations. Many of the people who worked in these various occupations have contracted a variety of different health problems from their asbestos exposure.

Workers from practically all trades were involved with asbestos, even those that worked in the unlikeliest of professions. Asbestos was used in a variety of different products and was largely found in shipyards, power plants, chemical plants, factories, steel mills, building construction, and the telephone industry.

• Asbestos textile mill, protective clothing and glove makers came in contact with asbestos while they weaved it into cloth.


• Automobile manufacturing production, brake and clutch manufacturing, and assembly workers including automobile mechanics and brake repairers, used asbestos on brake linings and clutch pads.


• Building engineers, building material products manufacturers, cement plant production workers, construction workers all worked with asbestos related products.


• Electrical workers, including electricians, electrical linemen, and telephone linemen came in contact with asbestos insulation around electrical products.


• Shipyard workers, Coast Guard personnel, longshoremen, merchant mariners, and U.S. Navy personnel worked and lived in areas that employed the use of asbestos.


• Demolition and wrecking crews were at risk when they destroyed buildings that used asbestos as insulation.


• Custodians, insulation manufacturing plant workers, pipefitters, machinists, insulators, packing and gasket manufacturing plant workers, and powerhouse workers all came in contact with asbestos.


• Railroad workers, sheet metal workers, steamfitters, refinery workers, rubber workers, refractory products plant workers, and warehouse workers also worked with asbestos on a daily basis.

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