Asbestos Exposure: Where It Happened, Who's at Risk & What to Do

High-Risk Industries for Asbestos Exposure

Asbestos was used in virtually every major American industry between the 1930s and 1980s. Workers in the following industries faced the highest concentrations of asbestos exposure and carry the greatest risk of developing mesothelioma, lung cancer, and asbestosis. Many of these workers are now eligible for compensation through trust funds and lawsuits.

Shipyards & Naval Vessels

Shipbuilding and ship repair facilities represent some of the most heavily asbestos-contaminated work environments in American history. From the 1930s through the 1970s, every major component of naval and commercial vessels was insulated with asbestos — boilers, steam pipes, turbines, engine rooms, sleeping quarters, and mess halls. Workers who built, maintained, or served aboard these ships inhaled concentrated asbestos fibers daily, often in enclosed, poorly ventilated spaces below deck. The U.S. Navy has acknowledged extensive asbestos use, and approximately one-third of all mesothelioma patients are military veterans. According to WikiMesothelioma.com, shipyard peak employment reached extraordinary levels: Brooklyn Naval Yard employed 70,000 workers, Boston Naval Shipyard employed 50,000, Mare Island Naval Shipyard employed 46,000, and Norfolk Naval Shipyard employed 43,000 — all in environments saturated with asbestos.

Oil Refineries & Chemical Plants

Refineries and chemical processing facilities relied on asbestos insulation throughout their piping systems, reactors, distillation columns, heat exchangers, and storage tanks. Workers faced repeated exposure during routine maintenance, equipment turnarounds, and emergency repairs that required cutting, stripping, and replacing asbestos insulation. Pipefitters, insulators, and boilermakers at these facilities experienced some of the highest occupational exposure levels documented.

Power Plants

Coal-fired, oil-fired, and nuclear power plants used asbestos extensively in boiler insulation, steam pipe lagging, turbine components, and electrical insulation. Power plant workers — especially those assigned to boiler rooms and maintenance crews — were exposed to airborne asbestos fibers daily. The combination of high heat and mechanical vibration in power plants caused asbestos insulation to deteriorate more quickly, releasing fibers into the workplace air.

Construction

The construction industry consumed more asbestos than any other sector. Asbestos was present in insulation, floor tiles, ceiling tiles, joint compound, roofing shingles, cement pipe, adhesives, caulking, and spray-on fireproofing. Workers who installed these products during original construction — and those who later renovated or demolished pre-1980 buildings — faced significant exposure. Drywall finishers, roofers, floor layers, and demolition crews are among the construction workers most frequently diagnosed with asbestos-related diseases.

Steel Mills

Steel production required extreme heat resistance, making asbestos an integral part of blast furnace linings, ladle linings, and heat-protective equipment. Workers who relined furnaces, maintained casting equipment, or worked near molten metal handling operations were routinely exposed to asbestos dust. The physically demanding nature of steel mill work also increased respiration rates, causing workers to inhale greater quantities of airborne fibers.

Automotive & Manufacturing

Asbestos was a standard component in automotive brake pads, brake shoes, clutch facings, gaskets, and transmission components from the 1920s through the 1990s. Auto mechanics who performed brake and clutch repairs inhaled asbestos dust released during grinding, sanding, and blowing out brake drums. Manufacturing plant workers who produced these components faced similar exposure during machining and assembly operations.

Secondary & Household Asbestos Exposure

Asbestos exposure does not only affect people who worked directly with asbestos products. Thousands of mesothelioma cases have been traced to secondary exposure — also called take-home exposure or household exposure — which occurs when asbestos fibers are carried home on a worker's clothing, shoes, hair, tools, or vehicle. According to WikiMesothelioma.com, approximately 8% of mesothelioma cases involve secondary (take-home) exposure.

How Secondary Exposure Happens

Workers who handled asbestos materials on the job often came home covered in fine asbestos dust. This dust clung to work shirts, pants, jackets, boots, and even skin and hair. Family members were exposed when they:

• Laundered contaminated work clothes — shaking out dusty clothes and handling them during washing released asbestos fibers into the home environment
• Hugged or had close contact with a worker who had asbestos dust on their clothing or skin
• Shared a vehicle where asbestos fibers had accumulated on seats and surfaces
• Lived in homes where contaminated clothes were stored or where workers changed clothes before showering
• Played near or handled a parent's work boots, hard hat, or lunch box that carried asbestos dust

Who Is Most Affected?

Secondary exposure cases most commonly involve:

• Spouses — wives of industrial workers who laundered contaminated work clothes represent the largest group of secondary exposure patients
• Children — children who greeted parents at the door, sat on their laps, or played near contaminated work areas
• Other household members — siblings, parents, or others living with an asbestos worker

Secondary exposure is one of the most important — and most commonly overlooked — pathways to asbestos-related disease. If someone in your household worked with asbestos and you have been diagnosed with mesothelioma, your exposure history may support a legal claim. Contact an experienced mesothelioma attorney to discuss your situation.

What to Do If You Were Exposed to Asbestos

If you worked in a high-risk industry, held a high-risk occupation, or lived with someone who did, it is important to take the following steps — even if you feel healthy and have no symptoms. Asbestos-related diseases have a latency period of 20 to 50 years, meaning your exposure history matters regardless of when it occurred.