Asbestos is a durable mineral that was used across a variety of industries until the mid-1970s. Unfortunately, exposure to asbestos can cause severe health problems, including mesothelioma, a rare form of cancer that is often fatal. From 1980 to 2000, 1,624 Ohioans died from asbestos-related illnesses. More than 65 percent of those deaths were attributed to mesothelioma. While it is unclear how many workers were exposed to asbestos when it was widely used, numerous Ohio jobsites are considered health hazards due to the use of this mineral, including multiple oil refineries and power generation plants and a shipyard. If you worked in one of these industries and have been diagnosed with mesothelioma, contact the experienced personal injury attorneys at O'Connor, Acciani & Levy to find out if you are eligible to receive compensation for pain, suffering, injuries and lost wages. The following industries also put workers at higher risk of exposure to asbestos:
- Manufacturing – Products like textiles were made with materials containing asbestos. Factory workers were also at risk for exposure because this harmful mineral was used to insulate walls, pipes and blast furnaces.
- Military – Multiple branches of the military used asbestos when building barracks, tanks, ships and airplanes. Many members of the military could have been exposed.
- Construction – From 1920 to 1980, most buildings were constructed with asbestos. Construction workers may have been exposed to this mineral because it was used in walls, roofs, pipes, insulation, floors, boilers and more areas. Plumbers, roofers, electricians and others in the construction industry could have been exposed as well.
- Railroads – Many trains were insulated with asbestos so locomotive repair shop workers and train workers could have breathed in asbestos-laden dust.
- Firefighting – While firefighters wear gear to avoid inhaling toxic substances when responding to a fire, they can be exposed to asbestos when the fire is extinguished and they remove their masks.
