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How a Protective Clothing Manufacturer Worker Can Get Mesothelioma by Occupational Exposure to Asbestos
Manufacturers made protective clothing for firefighters, foundry workers, steel plant workers, glass work workers and other employees who worked around heat, fire or chemicals. Before the dangers of asbestos were well known, asbestos was often contained in protective clothing, such as mitts, aprons, coats and gloves.
Asbestos is strong, flexible, cheap and resistant to heat, flame and corrosion. For these reasons, it was added to clothing and gloves. Workers would separate asbestos fibers into threads and process them with other fibers like they do with cotton. This clothing would then be sold to workers in other industries to protect them from fire, heated equipment and hot liquids.
Because protective clothing manufacturing workers would come into direct contact with asbestos, they are at an increased risk of developing mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases. Asbestos is dangerous when it is in its raw form. Workers who weave, cut or stitch asbestos fabric can dislodge toxic asbestos fibers into the air. During the weaving process, threads are more likely to rub together and produce dust and lint, which can cause asbestos dust and fibers to become airborne. Workers could breathe in these fibers and dust. These fibers can cause inflammation and scarring to the tissue surrounding organs, which can eventually result in mesothelioma.
Some protective clothing manufacturers were also responsible for repairing clothing. As the clothing came in contact with fire or heat, it would become damaged, and asbestos fibers could be released. Workers would be exposed to these toxic fibers unknowingly. Some workers may have even worn the clothing that they designed to help protect others and wind up exposed to a deadly disease in the process.
Additionally, protective clothing manufacturer workers could have come into contact with asbestos from the machines they worked on. These machines often contained asbestos to increase friction and prevent damage caused by heat.
Locations in the United States with the Highest Employment Rates for Protective Clothing Manufacturer Workers
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, there are currently 111,870 people employed in the textile mill industry, which would include manufactures of protective clothing. States with the highest employment rates for these workers include:
- California
- North Carolina
- Georgia
- Minnesota
- Texas
Similar Occupations as Protective Clothing Manufacturer Workers
Some occupations that are similar to protective clothing manufacturer workers include:
- Assemblers
- Fabricators
- Laundry and dry-cleaning workers
- Sewers and tailors
- Textile mill workers
- Upholsterers
- Weavers
Lawsuits and Settlements Involving Protective Clothing Manufacturer Workers
There are some cases that have been filed against the manufacturers of protective clothing. For example, an Ohio man who was diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma in 2014 filed a personal injury lawsuit against the company that manufactured the protective gear that he wore while working at a steel plant as a cast house helper, American Optical Corporation. The defendant filed a motion to dismiss the lawsuit, but the judge denied it in 2019. The case is still pending at the time of publication.
Another case was brought by the family of a firefighter who worked as a firefighter and officer in New Jersey for more than 30 years who developed mesothelioma. The case was made against the manufacturer of the clothing and equipment that he was issued while working as a firefighter.
Studies Related to Textiles and Asbestos
There have been a few studies that have explored the connection between textiles and asbestos. Several studies have examined the risk of exposure to asbestos in the textile industry and found these workers had an increased rate of cancer when compared to the general population.
In the 2005 study “Exposure and risks from wearing asbestos mitts,” researchers specifically studied people who wore asbestos mitts and found that they were exposed at low levels of airborne chrysotile asbestos fibers.
A 2015 Polish study analyzed rates of asbestosis among workers at five asbestos-product factories that operated from the 1940s to the 1990s. The highest rates of asbestosis were found for asbestos textile workers.
Types of Asbestos Products Used by Protective Clothing Manufacturer Workers
Protective clothing manufacturer workers may have produced various types of products that contained products. For example, they may have made protective jackets for firefighters. They may made protective aprons, coats, gloves and leggings for people who came in contact with heat and fire, such as foundry workers and oil refinery workers. Employees who worked around hot furnaces and with molten metal may have worn asbestos coats and leggings while casting. Manufacturing workers may have made asbestos mitts.
Manufacturers of Asbestos Products Used by Protective Clothing Manufacturer Workers
Many manufacturers used textiles that included asbestos or provided asbestos-containing protective clothing to their workers, such as Avondale Mills Textile Mill, Coats & Clark Thread Company, Du Pont de Nemours and Company, Inc., Hogansville Stark Mills, Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing, Raybestos-Manhattan, Inc., Southern Asbestos Company, Uniroyal and Wheeler Protective Apparel, Inc.
