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How Can a Mixing Operator Get Mesothelioma by Occupational Exposure to Asbestos?
Mixing operators set up, operate and tend machines to mix or blend materials. They may work with a variety of products, such as chemicals, explosives, liquids, color pigments and tobacco. Historically, mixing operators may have also worked with asbestos.
Asbestos is cheap, durable and resistant to heat and chemical reactions, so it was often mixed with other materials to make them stronger and to provide enhanced insulation properties. Mixing operators could have breathed in asbestos fibers that were dislodged during the mixing process. Workers could have breathed in asbestos fibers during their work, which could cause the fibers to become lodged in the lining around their lungs until they eventually caused mesothelioma.
More than 3,000 products contained asbestos at one point in time. Many of these materials were used to construct buildings, including those where mixing operators worked. As materials aged and deteriorated over time, those in close proximity could breathe in toxic asbestos fibers and dust.
Locations in the United States for the Highest Employment Rates for Mixing Operators
According to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, there are currently 128,600 employees hired under the category of “mixing and blending machine setters, operators, and tenders.” States with the highest employment rates for mixing operators include:
mixing Operators employed in the United States. States with the highest employment rates for Mixing Operators include:
- California
- Texas
- Ohio
- Illinois
- New York
Similar Occupations as Mixing Operators
Similar occupations as mixing operators include:
- Assemblers
- Boilermakers
- Fabricators
- Industrial machinery mechanics
- Machinery maintenance workers
- Metal and plastic machine operators
- Sheet metal workers
- Welders, cutters, solderers and brazers
Lawsuits and Settlements Involving Mixing Operators and Mesothelioma
Mixing operators who develop mesothelioma, asbestosis or other asbestos-related diseases may have a variety of legal options to pursue compensation for the damages that they sustained, including medical expenses, lost wages and pain and suffering. Occupational exposure may provide a basis for a workers’ compensation claim. Many former asbestos companies set up asbestos bankruptcy trusts to manage claims due to the damages their products caused consumers, workers and others. A product liability lawsuit may also be considered against the manufacturers of asbestos-containing products that mixing operators came in contact with or other companies that are legally liable for the damages these products caused.
Studies Related to Mixing Operators and Mesothelioma
A number of studies have explored the health effects that stem from occupational exposure to asbestos in various industries. Researchers have consistently found that exposure to asbestos in the workplace can lead to higher rates of mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases. Studies have been conducted on factory workers who worked in factories that made products with asbestos and found the workers had increased rates of mesothelioma, lung cancer and other types of cancer.
Similarly, another study conducted on workers employed in an auto part factory were found to have significantly higher mortality rates for lung and laryngeal cancers. Workers in these factories often used chrysotile asbestos and asbestos-containing abrasives to manufacture drum brakes and drum linings.
Types of Asbestos Products Used by Mixing Operators
Mixing operators may have mixed raw asbestos with drywall compounds, cements, plastics, paints, adhesives and sealants. They may have also mixed asbestos into a variety of construction materials.
Manufacturers of Asbestos Products Used by Mixing Operators
Mixing operators may have worked with asbestos-containing products manufactured by 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.
