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High-risk Occupations

Asbestos exposure is a major threat to employees in certain high-risk occupations. High-risk occupations are those where workers build, use, handle, repair, maintain, and demolish asbestos-containing materials and structures. While virtually everyone in the US has been exposed to some level of asbestos, those in high-risk occupations have the greatest risk of developing serious diseases—including asbestosis, lung cancer, and mesothelioma—due to prolonged or high-levels of asbestos exposure.

If you have worked in one of the following high-risk occupations, you may be at serious risk for developing a serious illness. Often these illnesses do not develop for a long time after exposure to asbestos in high-risk occupations. Thus, you may have worked in a high-risk occupation years or even decades ago and just now be manifesting symptoms of a related disease.

High-risk occupations include:

• Construction work
• Electrical work
• Shipyard and shipping work
• Factory and industrial labor
• Automotive and aviation mechanics
• Plumbing
• Telephone work
• Janitors
• Asbestos abatement
• Firefighting
• Insulating work
• Residential or commercial building maintenance
• Demolition workers

It is also important to understand that working in high-risk occupations also presents a threat to your family. Workers in high-risk occupations can carry asbestos fibers home on their person, clothing, tools, equipment, and more. In such cases, family members can be exposed to asbestos and develop subsequent illness. At least 100 cases of mesothelioma have been identified in family members of those in high-risk occupations.

Protecting Your Health

People who did or currently work in high-risk occupations can take to protect their health. These include:

• Taking protective measures on the jobsite to reduce or avoid exposure – such as wearing a disposable mask
• Employing practices to prevent exposure to your family – for example, changing clothes before entering the home
• Stop exposure to tobacco (smoking increases the risk of asbestos-related ailments by 10 times in high-risk workers)
• Seek regular health check-ups
• Receive prompt medical attention for any respiratory-related illnesses

If you have developed a serious asbestos-related illness while working in a high-risk occupation, you may be able to seek compensation for your losses and suffering. Please contact us today to learn more about your legal rights and options.