Workers Affected: Are You at Risk?
Because of the benefits of asbestos, the fiber made its way into structures across America and put many people at risk of getting mesothelioma and other asbestos diseases.
Those who worked directly with products with asbestos in previous decades are most at risk for suffering from mesothelioma, but even those who worked indirectly with asbestos can begin to show mesothelioma symptoms.
The following are occupations with a high risk of asbestos exposure:
| • Bricklayers | • Miners |
| • Building inspectors | • Navy veterans |
| • Construction workers | • Oil refinery workers |
| • Drillers | • Painters |
| • Drywall contractors | • Plumbers |
| • Electricians | • Power plant workers |
| • Grinders | • Railyard workers |
| • Longshoremen | • Roofers |
| • Maintenance personnel | • Sandblasters |
| • Maritime workers | • Sheet metal workers |
| • Mechanics | • Shipyard workers |
| • Merchant marines | • Tile contractors |
| • Millwrights | • Welders |
People in these occupations may also put their family and friends at risk by coming home with asbestos fibers on their clothing, skin and hair—unknowingly spreading the cancer-causing asbestos to others. Despite the fact that these friends and family members never worked directly with asbestos, this inadvertent exposure can lead to a diagnosis of mesothelioma or other asbestos-related diseases.