Shipyard Workers

Ships catching fire at sea was a safety concern for the entire crew. Asbestos was an easy solution to prevent this risk from becoming a reality, so shipbuilders used asbestos when constructing and assembling the many parts of Navy ships, especially in the engine rooms.

Navy Veterans

Navy veterans served aboard these asbestos-filled ships. They slept in asbestos rooms and worked in boiler and engine rooms and other asbestos-covered areas of the ship.

Automobile Mechanics

Brake linings were built with chrysotile asbestos starting in the 1940s. Manufacturers used this material to prevent vehicles from catching fire. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, it is nearly impossible to identify asbestos dust on brakes or clutches.

However, the braking process causes asbestos dust to build up in the wheel well. This dust can include fragments of disturbed asbestos from pressure applied to brakes. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, it is nearly impossible to identify asbestos dust on brakes or clutches.

Mechanics installing new brakes were regularly exposed to asbestos until the 1980s. Since many old vehicles are often brought in for repairs, auto mechanics continued to be exposed in the 1990s and 2000s when replacing worn-down brakes.

Construction Workers

Construction workers are at high risk for asbestos exposure due to the many building materials that contained asbestos. The goal is to construct buildings that resist storms, fires and other catastrophic events to also protect the people inside and around the buildings.

The solution was asbestos due to its durability and heat resistance. These qualities made it the perfect material for constructing buildings, homes and other structures. However, the widespread use of asbestos in construction created health risks for workers. They handled asbestos materials directly, often leading to weightless sharp fibers floating in the air.

In 1990, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported nearly 300 mesothelioma cases among insulation workers in the United States and Canada.

Some of the construction jobs that handled asbestos were:

Firefighters

Many buildings were constructed with asbestos mixtures to add durability to tiles, electrical wiring, shingles, paint and more. When fires occur in these buildings, the asbestos is disturbed and damaged. This splinters small pieces of asbestos from the mixture. Firefighters attempting to save people and put out blazes are often breathing in toxic air, including these sharp fibers. Additionally, firefighters often wore jackets insulated with asbestos.

The 9/11 terrorist attack on the World Trade Center is the most publicized example of asbestos exposure for firefighters. The skyscrapers were built with tons of asbestos, which led to Ground Zero’s rubble being filled with asbestos.

Electrical Workers

Asbestos in the electrical industry was an afterthought for decades. Again, asbestos is fire‑resistant, so any opportunities to protect wires or switchboards from catching fire were a necessity.

The main use of asbestos in electrical work was for insulation around:

Machinists operate machines or use hand tools to modify metal, plastic or wood parts. They also repair and assemble these machines, many of which require heat.

These machines, which were made with asbestos, often grind parts together. This leads to a cloud of dust, which includes splintered asbestos fibers. Machinists also use their tools on objects built with asbestos, which contaminates the air.

Machinists include railroad workers. One study found 42 mesothelioma cases among former railroad machinists.

Since asbestos is a heat‑resistant mineral, it protected some items from overheating or catching fire. Hair dryers, for instance, were made with asbestos in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s. This put many hairdressers and hair stylists at risk of asbestos exposure.

According to an article in the International Journal of Occupational and Environmental Health, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission recalled many hair dryers in 1979 due to asbestos concerns.

Bakers, Pizza Makers and Pastry Chefs

Baking ovens require extremely high temperatures for proper functioning. These ovens were often lined with asbestos to keep flames inside.

The American Journal of Industrial Medicine found eight cases of bakers, pizza makers and pastry chefs with mesothelioma. Asbestos fibers could loosen and contaminate the air where bakers worked, or even fall onto the food being cooked.

Plant Workers

Manufacturing plants were common work settings for asbestos exposure. Quite a few plant workers were exposed regularly, such as textile workers, aluminum smelting workers and more.

Textile workers, for instance, turned natural and artificial fibers into yarn to create clothing and household products. These products often were made with asbestos.

Aluminum smelting workers extract aluminum from its oxide, alumina. This requires heat at 1,800 degrees to produce aluminum metal. Since the temperature is so high and high‑voltage electricity is involved, asbestos insulation was used within the plants, on the piping and appliances.

Steel mills melt, mold, and form iron ore and other materials to make iron and steel. They work in hot temperatures due to the extreme heat required to melt, mold, and create steel. Asbestos was often used to manufacture the machinery and equipment used in steel mills.

Chlor-alkali plants also used asbestos – and still do. The chlor-alkali industry is the only one currently still using asbestos. Chlor-alkali plant workers in New York reported regular asbestos exposure through the 1990s, and some former workers have developed cancers like mesothelioma.

Painters

Asbestos was a component of paint for most of the 20th century. It was used as a filler for paint, particularly for shipyard and bridge jobs. The British Journal of Cancer listed painters as one of the most at risk of exposure to asbestos.