Asbestos High Risk Jobs
Occupational and Environmental Exposure to Asbestos
Millions of people in the U.S. have been exposed to asbestos, and it is estimated that approximately 3,000 people are diagnosed with mesothelioma each year as a result of that exposure.
Industries and Trades Associated with Asbestos Exposure
We have compiled a list of industries and related trades where workers have been exposed to high levels of asbestos exposure. These industries include aerospace and aviation, asbestos abatement, asbestos mining, asbestos products manufacturing, automotive/mechanical friction, chemical, construction, insulation, iron and steel, longshore, maritime, military, non-asbestos products manufacturing, general, petrochemical, railroad, shipyard construction and repair, textile, tire and rubber, and utilities. This list is not exclusive.
Job Sites Associated with Asbestos Exposure
We have identified job sites, in all 50 states and in the District of Columbia, that have been recognized as places where workers have been exposed to significant amounts of asbestos. Search by state to determine whether or not you have worked at any of these facilities. But remember, this is only a partial list.
Select by state:
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- District Of Columbia
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
Unexpected Sources of Asbestos Exposure
Occupational exposure has put millions of American workers at risk, but there have been other sources of asbestos exposure that often go unnoticed. Find out about unexpected sources of asbestos exposure.
Mesothelioma Can Strike Anyone
Read profiles of public figures who developed mesothelioma, some after very brief, early exposure to asbestos. Find out how this asbestos-related disease has attacked prominent figures from widely disparate backgrounds—from the worlds of entertainment, politics, sports, science and more.
Asbestos Industry Knowledge of the Risk
The asbestos industry knew the danger that their products created for generations of workers, decades before the risks were ever brought to light. Early scientific and medical literature was available to and known by the industry, long before these companies warned the public of the health hazards of asbestos. Records from industry trade organizations demonstrate asbestos industry knowledge of the risk, information that it provided to their members—the corporate executives who could have prevented the asbestos tragedy but chose to put profits over public health.
Regulating Asbestos: Are We Safe Yet?
Many people think that asbestos is banned in the United States. It’s not.
What is Asbestos?
Asbestos is a naturally occurring fiber that, when released into the air, can be inhaled or swallowed. Asbestos has no smell or taste, and asbestos fibers are so small that they are not visible to the naked eye. Once they are inhaled, asbestos fibers stay in the body and, over the course of decades, lead to the development of asbestos-related diseases like mesothelioma.
Why Use Asbestos?
Asbestos is flexible and strong and extremely resistant to heat and corrosion. It is an excellent insulator. From an industrial perspective, it seemed to be the “magic mineral.” It is also a cheap binder material that has been used in many construction products over the years.
