The American Lung Association says that as many as 15 percent of the 150,000 people who die of lung cancer each year develop the disease from direct contact with dangerous, toxic chemicals and substances such as asbestos. People who have worked as a shipbuilder, pipefitter, asbestos installer, tile worker, welder, refinery worker or sander may be at risk for developing lung cancer.

 

Shipyards Pose High Risk of Exposure

Shipyards are a high-risk asbestos area. Consequently, shipbuilders run the risk of exposure to asbestos. If a person has worked as a shipbuilder or in any profession in which they’ve been exposed to fiberglass or asbestos, it is imperative that they seek medical attention immediately to assess their risk for developing an asbestos disease.

 

Pipefitters Face High Risk Too

Because they must work with pipe insulation, pipefitters are at high risk for exposure to asbestos, a naturally occurring, fibrous mineral widely used in product manufacture through the middle of last century.

 

Asbestos fibers , when inhaled, become embedded in the lungs and eventually cause fatal diseases, including lung cancer, mesothelioma, and asbestosis. Although asbestos is rarely used today, it is believed to have affected countless workers between 1940 and 1980.

 

Asbestos Dangers to Tile Workers

Tile workers generally must mount ceiling tiles, blocks and other cuts of shock-absorbing materials on ceilings, floors, and walls. When they size these materials and pare them down to fit their projects, asbestos or other dangerous types of dusts circulates in the air and may become embedded in delicate lung tissue, potentially causing lung cancer (especially mesothelioma) or asbestosis .

 

Insulation Installers

Two of the most popular and effective means of insulation — fiberglass and asbestos — are also among the most dangerous. They have been determined to cause a number of fatal lung diseases, including lung cancer and asbestosis. Any laborer who has worked as an insulation installer may have been exposed to these cancer-causing agents and is 92 times more likely to fall ill.

 

Welding Areas are High Risk

Because of the nature of their work, welders are exposed daily to a high number of carcinogenic pollutants, such as asbestos and benzene. When inhaled, these poisonous fibers and gases can damage the lungs, often causing lung cancer and other lethal diseases. Studies show that welders are much more likely than people outside their field to develop such illnesses.

 

Oil Refineries: High Risk Areas

Oil refinery workers typically relied on equipment that contained asbestos up through the 1970s, such as heat exchangers, ovens, driers, furnaces, and pumps. By using or even just being around this equipment, workers risked extensive exposure to this harmful material’s fibers. As a result, thousands of oil refinery workers have developed asbestosis, mesothelioma, and/or lung cancer over the years.

 

Sanders & Sandblasters

Sanders and sandblasters are constantly exposed to dangerous dust and particles on the job, even though they wear protective masks. These particles — silica dust, asbestos, and other noxious fumes — can scar the lungs and cause the onset of a myriad of deadly lung diseases, such as mesothelioma and lung cancer.