Mesothelioma Risk Factors

The risk for mesothelioma or any other asbestos-related disease is greater for those with heavier exposures to asbestos and those with longer exposure time. Many workers never personally handled any asbestos products themselves but worked in the same vicinity as other trades that did. Ultimately it's is not what a worker handled but what they inhaled that is the determining factor. Some individuals, with no hands-on exposure or a very limited exposure, have developed mesothelioma, the most serious condition possible.

Some of the trades we have seen where there is a high risk for developing mesothelioma and other asbestos diseases:

Asbestos Miners
Automobile Mechanics
Boiler Mechanics
Boiler Tenders and Maintenance Workers
Building Contractors
Carpenters
Construction Equipment Mechanics
Crane Mechanics
Electricians
Insulators
Iron or Steel Workers
Masons
Motorcycle Mechanics
Painters
Pipefitters
Plasterers
Plumbing and Heating Contractors
Roofing Contractors
Sheet Metal Mechanics
Shipyard Workers
Textile Mill Workers
Tile Workers and Installers
Truck Mechanics
Welders

Some of the work sites where we have seen an increased number of mesothelioma and other asbestos diseases include:

Asbestos Product Manufacturing Plants – Philip Carey, Johns-Manville, Mundet Cork, UNARCO
Gas Stations – any location where brake or clutch work was performed
Non-Asbestos Manufacturing Plants – Carborundum, Ciba-Geigy, Ford, General Motors, Hercules, Hoffman LaRoche, Merck, Proctor Gamble, Squibb
Shipyards – Brooklyn Navy Yard, Federal Shipyard, Todd Shipyard
Paper Mills – Riegle Paper
Powerhouses – Con Edison, JCP&L, PSE&G
Refineries – Chevron, Exxon Bayonne, Exxon Bayway, Mobil

Some of the asbestos-containing products identified by the individuals diagnosed with mesothelioma and other asbestos diseases include:

Brakes and Clutches
Brick and Mortar
Caulk
Ceiling Tiles
Cement Pipe and Panels
Cloth and Blankets
Electrical Wire and Cable
Floor Tiles
Gaskets
Gloves, Hoods and Aprons
Pipe Covering
Plaster and Spackle
Roofing Cement and Mastics
Roofing Shingles
Sheet and Rope Packing
Sheetrock
Siding Panels
Spray Fireproofing
Stucco
Textured Paint
Vinyl Flooring
Wallboard

Some household products which surprisingly have contained asbestos components at one time include:

Hair Dryers
Ironing Board Covers
Pot Holders and Oven Mitts
Toasters and Other Appliances

Some of the equipment, which was covered with and contained various asbestos components, identified by the individuals diagnosed with mesothelioma and other asbestos diseases include:

Air Compressors
Boilers
Burners
Chillers
Conveyor Belts
Feed Water Heaters
Furnaces
Generators
Heat Exchangers
Hot Water Heaters
Incinerators
Kilns
Ovens and Dryers
Precipitators
Pumps
Steam Traps
Turbines
Valves
Vessels

As set forth above where, when, how and to what someone was exposed is not easy to determine and the assistance of attorneys experienced in asbestos litigation are needed to identify the exposures that have resulted in a diagnosis of mesothelioma.