In This Section Asbestos Overview Asbestos Exposure Occupations At Risk Asbestos Containing Products Manufacturers and Distributors Shipyard Asbestos Exposure Sites Occupations Most At Risk Workplace exposure to asbestos is widely accepted as the leading cause of all mesothelioma cases diagnosed in the US each year. The widespread use of asbestos during the twentieth century exposed millions of workers and their families and increased their risk of contracting cancers and other asbestos-related diseases. Between 1940 and 1979, it is estimated that nearly 27.5 million people were exposed to asbestos at work. These workers were exposed to asbestos in a variety of industrial and construction environments. It has been estimated that approximately 900,000 workers have been exposed to asbestos from automobile brake and clutch work alone. In 1970, Congress passed regulations declaring that employers must take steps to protect their employees from known hazards and exposure to chemical agents, such as asbestos. Unfortunately, many manufactures chose to ignore or minimally construe these regulations and continued endangering lives, resulting in many thousands of preventable cases of mesothelioma. Workers were exposed to asbestos in a wide range of job sites and trades, ranging from ships to the manufacturing and construction industries. Indeed, it is estimated that nearly 1.3 million workers in the construction industry are exposed to dangerous levels of asbestos each year. Although widespread use of asbestos is outlawed in the United States today, the threat of asbestos exposure still looms. For many workers, asbestos exposure is still possible for those who have occupations and work in buildings that were erected or renovated prior to the ban. Below is a list of occupations that have documented accounts of asbestos exposures and past incidents of mesothelioma cancer: Abatement Worker Acoustical Worker Aeronautical Engineer Aerospace Mechanics Air Conditioning Mechanic Air Conditioning/Heating Mfg. Worker Aircraft Mechanics Aluminum Worker Apprentice Fitter Asbestos Furniture Worker Asbestos Plant Workers Asbestos Worker Ash Handler Ash Puller Assembler Assembly Line Worker Auto Mechanic Auto Mechanics Aviation Electrician Aviation Mechanic B Operator Bag Opener Bagger Bale Press Operator Bale Roller Bar Shearman Batter operator Beamer Beaterman Belt Operator Binder Changer Blacksmith Blaster Blender Boat Builder Boat Operator Boiler Coverers Boiler Inspector Boiler Maker Boiler Mechanic Helper Boiler Operator Boiler Tender Boiler Washer Boiler Worker Boilermaker Boilermaker Helper Boilermaker Supervisor Boilermaker Worker Boilers Mfg. Plant Worker Boilertender Bolier Tester Braiser Brake and Clutch Repairman Brake Line and Shoe Installer Brake Line and Shoe Repairman Brake Mechanic Brake Mechanics Brake/Clutch Mfg Worker Brakeman Brick Mason Brick Room Helper Bricklayers Bulldozer Operators Burner Butler Pit Operator ByProducts Operator Cabinetmakers Cable Puller Cable Splicer Captain Car Loader Car Repairman Car Shop Workers Carder of Asbestos Yarn Carpenter Cast Ship Mixer Caster Caulker Ceiling Tile Installer Cell Renewal Leader Cement Finisher Cete Operator Checker at Insulation Warehouse Checkers, Examiners & Inspectors, Manufact. Chemical Operator Chemical Technicians Chemical Worker Chemist Chief Engineer Chief Operator in Pump Room Chipper Civil Engineer Cleaner Cleanup Man Clothing Ironers and Pressers Clutch Assembler Coal Engineer Combine Shop Commercial Elect. Equiq.,Appliance Wkr Compact Operator Compound Mixer Construction Crew Construction Inspector Construction Laborer Construction Mechanic Construction Worker Cooker (pulp) Coppersmith Core Room Worker CrackOff Crane Operator Crane Repairman Crane, Derrick and Hoist Men Crude Still Foreman Crusher Crusher Operator Cutter Deck Engine Mechanic Deckhand Demolition Worker Design Engineer Design Specialist Die Cast Operator Diesel Mechanic Dishwasher Dockman Doff Crew Draftsmen Draw Twist Drill Press Operatives Drill Repairman Driller Dry Cleaner Dry Dock Dry Wall Taper Dryer Foreman Dryer Operator Dryer Operator Drywall Hanger Drywall Tapers Electric Power Linemen & Cable Men Electric Tester Electrical and Electronic Engineers Electrical Inspector Electrical Technician Electricians Electronic Mechanic Electronic Technician Elevator Installation & Service Engine Fitter Engine Maintenance Man Engine Room Mechanic Engine Room Steam Crew Engine Room supervisor Engine Room Wiper Engineers Engineman Equipment Operator Erector Estimator Excavating Machine Operators Fabricator Fettler Clay Plant (tends furnace) Field Engineer Field Operator Supervisor Field Worker Filers, Polishers, Sanders, Buffers Final Construction Inspector Fireman Firewatcher Fitter Flame Cutter Fleet Worker Floor Hand Floor Tile and Linoleum Layer Foiler Foremen Forge Men and Hammer Men Forger Fork Lift Operator Foundry Workers Freight and Material handlers Furnace Fireman Furnace Helper Furnace Installer Furnace Machinist Furnace Manufacturer Furnace Men, Smelter-Men & Pourers Furnace Worker Galvinizer Garage Workers and Gas Station Attendants Gas Welder Gauger General Foreman General Laborer Generator/Transformer Mfg Worker Glass Blower Grinding Machine Operatives Hairdressers and Cosmetologists Head Operator Heat Treater Heating Technician Heavy Equipment Mechanics Heavy Equipment Operator Heavy Mobile Equipment Mechanic Helper Hod Carrier Hopper Loader Hot Blast Man Hot Top Maker Household Appliances Installers and Mechanics Household Residents of Exposed Workers Hull Department Supervisor Hull Foreman Hull Maitenance Technician HVAC Installer HVAC Serviceman Hydraulic mechanic Industrial Engineer Industrial Incinerator Worker Industrial Plant Workers Inspectors Installer Installer Refrigeration/HVAC equipment Instrument Fitter Instrument Technician Insulation Insulation Machinist Insulator Helper Insulators Inventory Clerk Iron Pourer Iron Worker Janitor Job & Die Setters Joiner Kiln (Tender/Builder) Kiln Operator Kiln Worker Lab Technician Laboratory Technician Laborers Lagger Lathe Operator Lather Lathers Lay operator Lead Gauger Leader Man Leadman Licensed Electrical Engineer Licensed Engineer Liftman Lineman Loader Loader Locomotive Engineers Loftsman Longshoremen and Stevedores Loom Fixers Machine Operatives, Misc. Specified Machine Operator Machinist Machinist Helper Machinist Mates Machinists Magazine Operator Maintenance Foreman Maintenance Maintenance Electrician Maintenance Man Maintenance Mechanic Maintenance Supervisor Maintenance Workers Managers and Superintendents; Building Manufacturing Marine Bull Wiper Marine Carpenter Marine Electrician Marine Engineer Marine Machinist Marine Painter Marker Mason Masonry Workers Material Analyst Material Handler Material Runner Material Scheduler Material Supervisor Materials Clerk Mechanic Mechanic Repairman Mechanic's Helper Mechanical Craftsman Mechanical Engineer Mechanical Fitter Mechanics & Repairmen; Aircraft Mechanics Mate Melt Shop Merchant Marine Seamen Merchant Marines Merchant Sea Chipper Metal Cleaner Metal Lather Metal Lathers Metallurgical Inspector Mill Operator Millman Millwrights Miner Missile and Aircraft Production Workers Mixing Operatives Mold Loft Worker Mold Maker Mold Man Molders Molds Manufacturer Moulder Mud Man Muller Operator Naval Architect Naval Engineer Naval Plant Maintenance Navy Personnel Navy Yard Workers / Yardbirds Neon Sign Manufacturer Neon Signs Worker Neon Tube Bender Nozzle Setter Nuclear Inspector Nuclear Power Inspector Officers, Pilots and Pursers; Ship Oil burner Serviceman Oil Field Worker Oil Refinery Workers Oiler Open Hearth Worker Operating Engineers Operations Specialist Operator of High Temp Machines Ordnance Equipment Mechanic Outside Machinist Oven Operator Oven/Furnace Mfg. Worker Pack Hauler Packer/Loader Painters and Sculptors Painters, Construction and Maintenance Palletizer Papermill Workers Paperworkers Patcher Pattern Maker Personnel and Labor Relations Workers Physical Tester Piece Work Counter Pipe Carrier Pipe Coverers Pipe Cutter Pipe Fitter Pipe Foreman Pipe Grinder Pipe Hanger Pipe Insulator Pipe Layer Pipe Layer of Water and Sewer Lines Pipe Racker Pipe Tester Pipe Welder Pipecoverer Pipefitter Pipefitter's helper Pipefitters Pipemill worker Plant Operator Plantworkers Plasterer Plasterers Plater Platerer Tender Plumbers Pneumatic Helper Pneumatic Tool Operator Poolman Pot Fitter Pot Operator Pot Rebuilder Pot Room Attendant (ironsteel) Pot Room Production Pot Tender Power Engineer Power Meter Installer Power Plant Worker Power Plant Workers Powerhouse Employee Powerhouse Laborer Powerhouse Mechanic Powerhouse Operator Powerhouse Worker Powerhouse Workers Press Operator Pressman Process Controlman Process Operator Production Checker Production Controller Production Engineer Production Operator Production Worker Pump Room Operator Pumpman Puncher Pusher Qualified Mechanic Engine Department Quality Control Inspector Quarterman Radiological Technician Railroad Workers Reactor Plant Worker Refinery Lab Technician Refinery Laborer Refinery Operator Refrigeration Engineer Residents of towns with former Asbestos Manufacturing Plants Rice Parmer Rigger Rip Out Ripout Rivet Bulker Riveter Road Machine Operators Rodman Role Press Operator Roll Turner Rollers and Finishers Roofers Room Worker Rosin Shed Worker Rough Neck Rough Necker Roundhouse Worker Roustabout RR Car Construction Worker RR Fire Box Installer Runner Rust Machine Operator S/Y Worker Sailors Sailors and Deckhands Sales Engineer Salesman Sampler Sandblaster Saw Operator Sawyers Scaffold Foreman Scaleman Scaler Scarfer Scheduler Scrap Classifier Senior Analyst Senior Bay Foreman Shake Out Operator Shearman Sheet Metal Mechanic Sheet Metal Worker Sheetmetal Fabricator Sheetmetal Mechanic Sheetmetal Supervisor Sheetmetal Workers Shift Foreman Shift Operator Ship cleaner Ship Fitter Ship Inspector Ship Maintenance Mechanic Ship Repair Ship Repairman Ship Room Operations Ship Scaler Ship Superintendent Ship Supervisor Ship Surveyor Ship's Inspector Ship's Test Operator Shipbuilder Shipfitters Clerk Shipping Shiptender Shipwright Shipyard Clerk Shipyard Dump Keeper Shipyard Laborer Shipyard Tooler Shipyard Workers Shop Repairman Shrinker Sketcher Skimmer Slagger Soundproofing Installer Specifications Supervisor Spinner Cutter Spinner of Asbestos Cloths Sprayer Sprinkler Fitter Sr. Design Specialist Stationary Engineers Steam Engineer Steam Machinist Steamfitters Steel Checker Steel Dipper Steel Erector Steel Pourer Steel Worker Steelfitter Steelman Steelworker Stevedore Still Cleaner Stock Preparation Stoker Storekeeper Storeroom Clerk Stove Tender Straightener Striker Stripheater Structural Metal Craftsmen Submarine Engineerman Superintendant Supervisor Sweeper Sweeper Tacker Tank Cleaner Tank Tester Tankerman Tapers Teachers: Elementary, College and University Technicians Telephone Installers and Repairmen Test Engineer Textile Operatives Third Engineer Third Operating Mechanic Tile Layer Tile Mechanic Tile Setters Tinner Tinsmiths Tire Cord Operations Tool and Die Makers Tool Control Tool Maker Tool Room Machinist Tool Room Mechanic Tow Motor Driver Tower Crane Operator Trackman Tractor Operator Transport man Trouble Shooter Truck Driver Truck Loader Turbine Boot Turbine Mechanic Turbine Tester Turnaround Man Turnaround/Production Service Operator Turner Utilityman Ventilator Vinyl Asbestos Floor Tiles Worker Warehouse Man Warehouseman,Stockman Watch Foreman Water Tender Weavers Weighmaster Weld Checker Welder Instructor Welder's Helper Welders Welding Foreman Winding Operatives Wiper Wireman Worker in Railroad Repair Shop Working Foreman XRay Operator Yard Laborer Zone Mechanic Occupation Fields Exposed to Asbestos: Aerospace/Aviation Automotive Construction Electrical Mechanical Iron & Steel Manufacturing Military Railroad Shipyard Textile Utilities Family Mesothelioma Friends and family of workers exposed to asbestos are also at increased risk of developing mesothelioma. The extreme toxicity of asbestos fibers means industrial and trade workers' families may develop mesothelioma through coming into contact with fibers and particles that adhered to the worker's clothing, shoes, skin and hair. This type of second hand exposure to asbestos is known as paraoccupational exposure. Since microscopic asbestos fibers can cling to almost anything with which they come in contact, it is possible for someone with asbestos on them to track it into their home.

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