October is Health Literacy Month. This week, we will be focusing on occupations that often have a high risk of asbestos exposure.
What are the High-Risk Occupations?
Most asbestos exposure happens to those who work or have worked in an industrial environment. The following occupations may have been exposed to asbestos at some point in their career:
· Auto mechanics-asbestos is used in brake linings and clutches
· Construction workers-asbestos was incorporated into fireproofing and many building materials, including roof shingles, pipes, siding, ceiling and floor tiles, and joint compound
· Drywall installers-asbestos was in the taping compounds that were used to cover and smooth the taping that covered the seams between sheets
· Electricians-asbestos was commonly used as an insulator in wiring and in high-voltage switchgear and motors, and electricians typically worked around the joint compound and fireproofing
· Firefighters-exposed to an array of construction materials and compounds while fighting fires in older buildings, as well as wearing asbestos suits to prevent injury
· Insulators-install or remove asbestos pipe covering, asbestos block insulation or asbestos cement
· Longshoremen and shipbuilders-exposed to massive levels of asbestos while unloading asbestos fiber and other asbestos-containing cargo or while constructing and repairing vessels
· Mining operations-asbestos is a common contaminant
· Plumbers and pipefitters, steamfitters-asbestos gaskets and packing and the insulation used on the pipes they were repairing
· Railroad workers-asbestos was used in insulation, brake linings and in other areas
· Sheet metal workers-asbestos was common in construction materials as well as protective gear
· Brickmasons and boilermakers– asbestos in gaskets, rope, insulation and refractory mortars and cement used to insulate boilers and furnaces and associated piping
· Teachers-asbestos dust in the classroom from worn, damaged or disturbed building materials or from teaching art classes that utilize asbestos materials
Our Asbestos Lawyers and Your Legal Rights
If you or a loved one was recently diagnosed with an asbestos-related disease, we may be able to pursue a case on your behalf. Our law firm has over 35 years of experience and no other office can match our legal team’s ability to take a case through trial and receive the same results. Our record of success includes numerous multimillion-dollar settlements and verdicts on behalf of clients throughout the nation. We know that time is of the essence and with that in mind, we dedicate ourselves to securing a trial date as quickly as possible and pursuing the compensation our clients deserve. Contact us today.
