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How Can a Machine Operator Get Mesothelioma by Occupational Exposure to Asbestos?
Machine operators often work with heavy machinery and machinery in industrial settings. They install, operate and maintain machinery by performing routine tests and maintenance on these machines. Many machines and industrial tools contained asbestos because asbestos is durable and a good insulator. It also helped prevent fires. Machine operators may have worked with machines and equipment that contained asbestos to protect it. At the same time, their health may have been in jeopardy. Asbestos was often contained in the mechanical components of the machines they operated, such as brake pads, brake linings, gaskets and other components subject to friction and high temperatures. When these parts were heavily worn, the asbestos fibers inside of them could become dislodged and airborne where machine operators may have breathed them in.
Additionally, asbestos was used in many products that machine operators may have come in contact with. Asbestos is cheap, durable and versatile, so it was included in various household products, construction products and various other products that were readily available and manufactured. Asbestos products were manufactured from the early 1900s to about 1980, so machine operators who worked on assembly lines with products that contained asbestos could have been subjected to higher concentrations of airborne asbestos fibers. While asbestos may not be harmful when it is intact, it can quickly become friable. When it is inhaled, it is carcinogenic.
In addition to being exposed to asbestos from industrial machines and asbestos-containing products in the factories, another possible source of asbestos exposure was in the buildings where these workers were employed. Asbestos was commonly used as insulation and was installed in the walls of buildings. It was also wrapped around boilers. Asbestos was also used in various construction products, including flooring materials, adhesives, sealants, joint compound and ceiling materials.
Machine operators may have also left their industrial setting with asbestos fibers on their hair, clothing and skin. When they returned home and greeted their family, their family members may have also breathed in these materials. They could have also breathed in asbestos fibers when laundering the machine operator’s clothing.
Locations in the United States for the Highest Employment Rates for Machine Operators
There are several different varieties of machine operators, such as metalworking and plastic working machine operators, printing machine operators, textile, apparel and furnishings machine operators, and machine operators assorted materials. These workers collectively make up millions of employed individuals throughout the United States. States with the highest employment rates for machine operators are those with industrial hubs, such as:
- California
- Michigan
- Indiana
- Ohio
- Texas
Similar Occupations as Machine Operators
Similar occupations as machine operators include:
- Assemblers
- Construction equipment operators
- Factory workers
- Fabricators
- Hand laborers and material movers
- Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers
- Machinery maintenance workers
- Metal and plastic machine operators
- Production workers
- Railroad workers
- Water transportation workers
- Welders
Lawsuits and Settlements Involving Machine Operators and Mesothelioma
There have been a few notable cases involving machine operators and other individuals who work in industrial settings. For example, a 54-year-old New York machine operator was awarded $3.5 million after developing mesothelioma. There have also been cases brought by spouses of machine operators who have developed mesothelioma from secondhand exposure to asbestos.
Studies Related to Machine Operators and Mesothelioma
While there have not been any known studies that have been completed regarding machine operators specifically and their connection to mesothelioma, several studies have focused on the exposure that manufacturing plant workers have had to asbestos. Multiple studies show that individuals working in packing, textile, and friction plants are at a heightened risk of developing mesothelioma. Additionally, workers in asbestos factories have been linked to a much higher incidence of mesothelioma and other forms of cancers, compared to the general population.
Types of Asbestos Products Used by Machine Operators
Machine operators may have worked directly with asbestos-containing products and construction materials that contain asbestos including:
- Automotive parts, including brake pads, shoes, drums and discs
- Electrical and mechanical components
- Glues and sealants
- Heating and air conditioning equipment
- Insulation
- Joint compound
- Paints
Manufacturers of Asbestos Products Used by Machine Operators
Machine operators may have worked directly with asbestos-containing products manufactured b companies such as:
- B.B. Lummus Global Inc.
- P. Green Industries
- Abex Corporation
- Amatex Corporation
- Armstrong World Industries
- Babcock and Wilcox
- Bestwall Gypsum
- Borg Warner Company
- Burnham Holdings
- Celotex
- Dana Corporation
- EJ Bartells Company
- Federal Mogul Corporation
- Ford Motor Company
- GAF Corporation
- Garlock Sealing Technologies
- General Electric
- General Motors
- Gold Bond
- Georgia Pacific
- K. Porter Inc.
- Honeywell Heating
- Imerys
- John Crane
- Johns-Manville
- T. Thorpe Inc.
- Kaiser Aluminum
- Kentile Floors
- Lincoln Electric
- Malleable Iron Range Company
- Minnesota Mining & Manufacturing
- National Gypsum
- North American Refractories
- Owens Corning Fiberglass
- Pacor Incorporated
- Pittsburgh Corning
- Republic Powdered Metals
- Rutland
- Synkoloid Company
- UNARCO
- Union Carbide
- R. Grace & Co.
