By Michael Bartlett on September 02nd, 2020 in Asbestos
Tons of asbestos mined in the U.S. during the past century was getting incorporated into various products used in different industries. Asbestos was extensively used to coat metals and as insulation or gaskets. Several workers including millwrights were frequently exposed to asbestos on their job.
Millwrights primarily work with metals as they perform the installation and repair of heavy machinery such as boilers, turbines, and generators. Because of the former use of asbestos as insulation in industrial equipment, millwrights were highly exposed to the tiny fibers of asbestos, which they inhaled daily while on their job. Unfortunately, former millwrights are experiencing the effects of asbestos exposure they had decades earlier. Generally, the symptoms of asbestos-related diseases appear at least 10-50 years after the exposure has taken place.
Millwrights worked in industries such as oil and petrochemical refineries, steel mills, mining operations, power generation plants, and wastewater treatment plants. The heat-producing industrial equipment containing asbestos insulation was installed, maintained, and repaired by the millwrights. Millwrights who were responsible for the installation of machinery handled asbestos-coated metals, gaskets, valve packings, and pipe coverings. During their work, they also used hand-held power tools (saws, drills, metal grinders) to cut, grind, and weld to achieve precise measurements.
These activities caused the release of tiny asbestos fibers into the air. The repair of machinery would also stir up fine asbestos dust as millwrights broke down old asbestos insulation. The asbestos dust lingered in the air or got stuck on their clothes, especially in poorly ventilated environments of manufacturing plants and construction sites. Eventually, these tiny asbestos fibers that were unknowingly inhaled or even ingested by the millwrights remained in their lungs and other organs for several years leading to inflammation and scarring.
A clinical survey that was conducted among 110 millwrights in the New York metropolitan area showed a high prevalence of abnormalities on chest X-rays. Almost 44.5% of these workers had pleural abnormalities that were suggestive of asbestos-induced effects. The findings revealed that the millwrights are at high risk for adverse effects from asbestos exposure.
Former millwrights who got exposed to asbestos at their workplace are at risk of developing precancerous conditions and serious diseases such as lung cancer and mesothelioma. Millwrights who have developed the following diseases are eligible to file a claim for asbestos exposure:
If you worked as a millwright, you are likely to have been exposed to high amounts of airborne asbestos at your workplace. This places you at a higher risk of developing asbestos-related cancer. We recommend you undergo asbestos screening as this will help to detect a potential health problem as early as possible.
If you have been suffering from asbestos-related cancer, you should immediately contact an attorney, as you are eligible to file an asbestos exposure claim. Most manufacturing companies have set up asbestos trust funds to compensate the workers affected by asbestos exposure.