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How Can an Industrial Engineer Get Mesothelioma by Occupational Exposure to Asbestos?
Industrial engineers analyze workflow systems to eliminate wastefulness during the production processes. They help establish efficient systems that integrate technology, machines, energy and workers to make products and services. They work in a variety of industries, including manufacturing, metalworking, construction, mining, ship and airplane assembly, healthcare, business administration, government agencies and nonprofits. However, approximately 70% of industrial engineers work in manufacturing industries. Sometimes industrial engineers are hired to renovate or recreate processes for a single product.
Industrial engineers were vulnerable to being exposed to asbestos because they often worked in environments where asbestos is present and could be disturbed. Asbestos is inexpensive, durable and resistant to heat and fire, so many factories and other locations used these materials for insulation, pipe wrapping, construction materials, fireproofing materials and many others. When asbestos is disturbed, microscopic asbestos fibers can become dislodged and can be inhaled by anyone nearby.
Common job duties of industrial engineers include the following:
- Review engineering specifications, process flows and production schedules to understand current methods that occur during the manufacturing process
- Determine more efficient methods to manufacture parts or products or deliver services
- Develop management control systems
- Develop control systems to plan production or coordinate activities
- Implement quality control procedures to resolve production issues or minimize costs
- Evaluate job performance
Locations in the United States for the Highest Employment Rates for Industrial Engineers
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, there are currently 284,600 industrial engineers employed in the United States. With an 8% expected growth rate between 2018 and 2028, there will likely be many more. States with the highest employment rates for industrial engineers include:
- Michigan
- California
- Texas
- Ohio
- New York
Similar Occupations as Industrial Engineers
Similar occupations as industrial engineers include:
- Architectural and engineering managers
- Cost estimators
- Health and safety engineers
- Industrial engineering technicians
- Industrial production managers
- Management analysts
- Occupational health and safety specialists and technicians
- Quality control inspectors
Lawsuits and Settlements Involving Industrial Engineers and Mesothelioma
There have been a few notable cases involving industrial engineers regarding asbestos exposure. In 2019, a St. Louis City jury returned a verdict of $10 million to the estate of an industrial engineer and quality control operator who was employed by Johns Manville for more than 30 years. He was exposed to asbestos when he scooped asbestos from hoppers and unloaded bags of asbestos-containing materials from railroad cars. The man was diagnosed with mesothelioma and died nine months later.
In 2009, a Los Angeles jury returned a verdict of $8.02 million against Foster Wheeler after finding the company guilty for defective product design and negligence in failing to warn of the potentially harmful effects of its asbestos-containing products. The case was brought by a 62-year-old retired industrial sales engineer for Nalco Chemical from 1976 to 1979 where he visited the sites of dozens of industrial clients, oversaw annual inspections and analyzed and tested Nalco’s boiler and cooling water treatment device. He had also worked two years at Kaiser Steel where he swept up after steam and pipe fitters and insulators who removed and cut dozens of asbestos-containing gaskets and insulation.
An engineer with Bristol Water who worked for the company for nearly 40 years, mainly maintaining pumping stations where asbestos cement insulation was used. The engineer was required to remove the insulation in order to make necessary repairs. The jury awarded his widow $450,000.
Studies Related to Industrial Engineers and Mesothelioma
There have been a few studies that show the connection between engineering work and asbestos exposure. Multiple studies show that individuals working in packing, textile, and friction plants are at a heightened risk of developing mesothelioma. A 2016 study published in Epidemiology and Health analyzed rates of asbestos-related cancers in Swedish workers from 1961 to 2009. The incidence of pleural mesothelioma was 67% higher for mechanical engineers than the general population.
A National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health evaluated the relationship between work with high rates of asbestos exposure and the occurrence of gastrointestinal cancer of nearly 5 million people in 28 states. Researchers found an elevated risk of these workers for colorectal cancer.
Types of Asbestos Products Used by Industrial Engineers
Industrial engineers may have worked directly with asbestos-containing products, such as:
- Aviation parts
- Automotive parts, including brake pads, shoes, drums and discs
- Cement
- Duct connectors
- Electrical and mechanical components
- Fireproofing materials
- Flooring, roofing and ceiling tiles
- Glues and sealants
- Heating and air conditioning equipment and insulation
- Joint compound
- Loose-fill insulation, pipe wrap, block insulation, acoustic tiles and spray-on insulation
- Paints
- Textiles
Manufacturers of Asbestos Products Used by Industrial Engineers
Industrial engineers may have worked directly with asbestos-containing products manufactured by companies such as ABB Ltd., Combustion Engineering, Foster Wheeler or Johns Manville, all of which have been named as defendants in asbestos litigation.
