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How Can a Moving Equipment Operator Get Mesothelioma by Occupational Exposure to Asbestos?
Moving equipment operators use machinery to transport products that are being manufactured. Depending on where they work, these workers may excavate earth from a mine, move goods around a warehouse, move products onto container ships or move construction materials around building sites. Those who work in warehouses often use forklifts and conveyor belts.
This classification of workers may include a number of jobs, such as:
- Conveyor operators and tenders – Conveyor operators and tenders control conveyer systems and belts that move materials. They may move materials to storage areas, building sites or vehicles.
- Crane and tower operators – These workers use tower and cable equipment to lift and move heavy materials, objects and machinery. These individuals are often employed in construction and water transportation industries where they load and unload cargo. Others work in iron and steel mills.
- Dredge operators – These equipment operators excavate waterways and operate equipment to remove rock, sand or gravel from harbors or lakes.
- Excavating and loading machine and dragline operators – These workers use machines to dig sand, earth and other materials and then load them onto conveyors or onto trucks. Sometimes they work on construction sites.
- Hoist and winch operators – These operators control the movement of platforms, cages and cables that transport workers and materials in industrial settings. They regulate the speed of the equipment. These operators are often employed in manufacturing, mining and quarrying industries.
- Industrial truck and tractor operators – These workers drive trucks and tractors that move materials around warehouses, storage yards and other worksites. They also operate forklifts to transport products.
- Underground mining loading machine operators – These individuals load ore, coal and rocks onto conveyors and vehicles to be transported.
The potential points of exposure depend on the particular occupation and job tasks that the individual worked. For example, those who worked in mines may have helped excavate raw asbestos or may have come in contact with it when extracting other materials from mines. Construction sites are the most common source of current exposure to asbestos and many moving equipment operators work in construction sites where they can be exposed to airborne asbestos fibers. Others may have worked on machines that contain asbestos.
Locations in the United States for the Highest Employment Rates for Moving Equipment Operators
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, there are 741,500 material moving equipment operators currently employed in the United States. States with the highest employment level for this classification of workers include:
- California
- Texas
- Pennsylvania
- Kansas
- Illinois
Similar Occupations as Moving Equipment Operators
Similar occupations as moving equipment operators include:
- Construction equipment operators
- Construction laborers and helpers
- Delivery truck drivers
- Driver sales workers
- Hand laborers and material movers
- Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers
- Railroad workers
- Water transportation workers
Lawsuits and Settlements Involving Moving Equipment Operators and Mesothelioma
Moving equipment operators who develop mesothelioma or other asbestos-related diseases may have a variety of options in pursuing compensation for the damages they have suffered, including lost wages, medical expenses and pain and suffering. They may be able to file a workers’ compensation claim, but this type of claim does not provide for pain and suffering. Other options are to file a claim with an existing asbestos trust fund set up by a manufacturer
Studies Related to Moving Equipment Operators and Asbestos
In “A case-control study of occupational risk factors for laryngeal cancer,” researchers looked at specific jobs and potential asbestos exposure to see if there was a correlation between them. Some of the data studied concerned various types of equipment operators.
Types of Asbestos Products Used by Moving Equipment Operators
Moving equipment operators may have worked with a variety of products that contained asbestos. They may have also transported asbestos-containing products around warehouses, construction sites and factories. Some common products that contained asbestos include:
- Electrical panels, switchboards and breakers
- Brake pads, brake lining, gaskets and steering wheels
- Cookware, appliances, tools and hair dryers
- Insulation products used for construction, industrial and shipbuilding uses
- Joint compounds, cement, drywall, ceiling tiles and roofing materials
- Rope, cloth and garments
- Protective clothing, gloves and aprons
- Aircraft and weapon systems, drop tanks, missile casings and nose cones
Manufacturers of Asbestos Products Used by Moving Equipment Operators
Some of the largest manufacturers of asbestos products that moving equipment operators may have come in contact with include:
- B.B. Lummus global Inc.
- P. Green Industries
- Armstrong World Industries
- Bell Asbestos Mines
- Bestwall Gypsum
- Borg Warner Company
- Celotex
- CertainTeed
- Combustion Engineering
- Federal Mogul Corporation
- Ford Motor Company
- Foster Wheeler
- GAF Corporation
- Garlock
- General Electric
- General Motors
- Honeywell Heating
- John Crane
- Johns Manville
- Kaiser Aluminum
- Kentile Floors
- Lincoln Electric
- Minnesota Mining & Manufacturing
- North American Refractories
- Owens Corning Fiberglass
- Pittsburgh Corning
- Raybestos Manhattan Raymark Industries
- Synkoloid Company
- UNARCO
- Union Carbide
- R. Grace
- Westinghouse Electric
