Regardless of their industry, engineers present on the working sites faced similar levels of asbestos exposure as the regular personnel.
If the engineer was required to work with equipment that incorporated high levels of heat they were in direct contact with the asbestos found in a friable state that would crumble easily making its particles airborne. But even for those engineers that only supervised the work process in an asbestos factory the situation was dire as asbestos fibers would constantly infest the atmosphere.
Engineers were also present in the military, being in charge of designing and building military works, as well as maintaining and repairing the lines of military transport and communications. They served in the U.S. Air Force, the U.S. Navy, the U.S. Marine Corps, and the U.S. Army. Military engineers would also be responsible for protecting the troops by employing fortifications or by designing new technology and weapons. They were also in charge of constructing and repairing bases, roads, bridges, airfields, and hospitals, as well as of clearing harbors, routes and ports. Because asbestos was present in the equipment military engineers would work on, veterans who served under this rating have a high risk of developing a serious disease today as a result of frequent exposure.
Relevant job titles
- marine engineer
- naval engineer
- test engineer
- electrical engineer
- field engineer
- operating engineer
- power engineer
- stationary engineer
- design engineer
- production engineer
- mechanical engineer
- industrial engineer
- railroad engineer
- first assistant engineer
- acoustical worker
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