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How Can a Warehouse Worker Get Mesothelioma by Occupational Exposure to Asbestos?
Warehouse workers receive and track shipments, move materials throughout a warehouse, load shipments, tag and label merchandise and prepare orders for shipment. They may come in contact with a variety of materials as part of their daily job. Some of these materials may have contained asbestos.
More than 3,000 products contained asbestos at one point in time, so individuals who were employed in warehouses before the 1980s likely would have come into contact with asbestos-containing materials. Additionally, asbestos was used to construct and repair buildings, so warehouse workers may have come into contact with these materials when moving around the warehouse.
Locations in the United States for the Highest Employment Rates for Warehouse Workers
According to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, there are currently 1,145,600 employees employed in the warehousing and storage industry. States with the highest employment rates for warehouse workers include:
- California
- Texas
- Illinois
- Pennsylvania
- Florida
Similar Occupations as Warehouse Workers
Similar occupations as warehouse workers include:
- Construction laborers and helpers
- Delivery truck drivers
- Driver sales workers
- Material moving machine operators
- Material recording clerks
- Water transportation workers
Lawsuits and Settlements Involving Warehouse Workers and Mesothelioma
There have been a few lawsuits filed by warehouse workers and their families due to mesothelioma and asbestos exposure. In 1998, a San Francisco jury awarded more than $3.2 million to ten retired workers, including a former warehouseman and warehouse superintendent who worked in that capacity from 1942 to 1985. The defendants were Owens Corning, which formerly manufactured, supplied and installed asbestos insulation and Exxon Corporation. The jury found Owens Corning’s products were defective and the company was negligent in leading to the plaintiffs’ injuries.
In 2016, a law firm reported a $6.4 million settlement in favor of a former warehouse worker whose only exposure to asbestos occurred during the summer while he was in college.
A San Francisco jury awarded $2.1 million to a warehouse worker who handled boxes of insulation.
A warehouse worker who worked at a General Motors warehouse and handles brakes and clutches was awarded $30 million. His father worked at a different GM warehouse, so the man was also exposed to asbestos from asbestos fibers his father brought home from work.
In 2015, another secondhand exposure was affirmed on appeal. The plaintiff had been exposed to asbestos from his father by the asbestos-contaminated talc powder he brought home from his job at a cosmetics company warehouse.
Studies Related to Warehouse Workers and Mesothelioma
Studies related to warehouse workers and mesothelioma are rare in nature. In “An Expert System for the Evaluation of Historical Asbestos Exposure as Diagnostic Criterion in Asbestos-Related Diseases” researchers determined the historical exposure limits for various occupations, including for warehouse workers. They used this information to determine workers’ compensation awards.
Types of Asbestos Products Used by Warehouse Workers
Asbestos was once contained in thousands of products. While most uses have been discontinued, asbestos is not completely banned in the United States, so warehouse workers who work around asbestos-containing products may still be being exposed to asbestos.
Warehouse workers that transported any of the following products may have been exposed to asbestos:
- Construction materials – Asbestos was used or added in a variety of construction materials, including insulation, sealants, paints, joint compounds, plaster, ceiling tiles, floor tiles, roofing felt and cement.
- Plumbing products – Asbestos was also contained in boilers and insulation on pipes. It was contained in gaskets, valves and pumps, also.
- Ship components – The U.S. Navy commissioned ships to be built with more than 300 components that contained asbestos.
- Automotive parts – The automotive industry continues to use asbestos materials for products despite many mechanics and vehicle part manufacturing workers developing mesothelioma. Automotive parts that are designed to withstand high temperatures and friction like brake pads and gaskets often contain a percentage of asbestos.
- Textiles – Asbestos was also used to create cloth, rope and garments. It was also used in fireproof clothing such as gloves and aprons.
- Electrical components – Asbestos plastic was used for electrical panels, switchboards and circuit breakers.
- Consumer products – Asbestos was also used to manufacture a variety of consumer goods, including cookware, tools, appliances and hair dryers.
Manufacturers of Asbestos Products Used by Warehouse Workers
Warehouse workers 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.
