Asbestos was widely used in many industries for its various properties of insulation, fire and heat resistance and resistance to acid and chemicals. In the chemical industry, all of those properties made asbestos very useful to insulate pipes, heat exchangers, furnaces and other equipment. Workers in chemical plants worked around asbestos every day, and many were exposed to asbestos fibers in the course of their daily work. Chemical plant workers are high on the list of those most likely to be diagnosed with mesothelioma and asbestosis, two diseases caused by inhaled asbestos fibers.

The chemical plant workers most likely to be exposed to airborne asbestos were those who were involved in the maintenance and repair of production units, including furnaces, pumps, extruders, boilers, ovens, driers and other equipment. In the course of repairs and regular maintenance, they would have handled asbestos-containing insulation, including cutting through it, removing it from pipes, cutting foam insulation to fit and other activities that would have disturbed and damaged asbestos-containing products and released asbestos fibers into the air.

In addition to those who worked directly in maintenance and repair, others who were in the vicinity of those activities would also have been exposed to asbestos fibers. Depending on the facility, that could have included office workers, chemists, formulators, maintenance workers and custodians.

Anyone exposed to asbestos fibers has an increased risk of developing a number of life-threatening diseases in the future. Those diseases include lung cancer, asbestosis and mesothelioma, a rare form of cancer that is disturbingly common among people who worked in professions that exposed them to asbestos. Those dangers were well-known among the companies that used asbestos in their day to day operations, and among the companies that processed, manufactured and distributed products containing asbestos.

The Shameful History of Asbestos

Chemical companies in general have a checkered history of dealing with the public safety. When it comes to asbestos, there record of complete disdain for the safety of their workers and the families of their workers is abysmal. Companies like Union Carbide, Dow and DuPont have actually advertised asbestos products in the past as being a pure and safe alternative to other traditional forms of insulation. These ads were in direct contrast to what the companies knew about asbestos both from history and from their own research.

As early as the 1920s, there was mention of asbestos lung disease in medical journals. In the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s, some companies conducted their own in-house studies of lung disease and cancer and were warned by their own doctors that asbestos was killing their workers. In various asbestos lawsuits and trials, mesothelioma lawyers for the plaintiffs have introduced memos and other written evidence about deliberately hiding and suppressing information about the dangers of asbestos.

Rather than warning workers and providing them with safety equipment, those companies buried the reports and hid the facts about asbestos exposure. As a result, tens of thousands have become ill with mesothelioma and even more with other asbestos-related diseases. DuPont, a major chemical manufacturing concern, went so far as to as a company doctor to remove the word asbestos from a rubber stamp used to identify chest X-rays of their workers. Other chemical companies that have been involved in asbestos dealings include Dow Chemical, Union Carbide and W.R. Grace & Co.

Asbestos Exposure

Chemical processing plants include those factories and processing plants that made paints, fertilizers, insecticides, plastics and polymers. Job titles for workers who may have been exposed to asbestos while working in chemical plants include engineer, chemical engineer, process engineer, custodian, custodial technician, maintenance technician or electrical engineer.

While asbestos is no longer allowed for "new uses" in the United States, it may still be used for established purposes, especially if no suitable substitute exists. Most chemical processing plants built in the past thirty years have voluntarily used materials that contain minimal amounts of asbestos or none at all for insulation, but older buildings and equipment may still contain asbestos.

If you worked in a chemical plant, especially if you were responsible for maintaining processing equipment or changing worn machine parts, you may carry an increased risk of developing mesothelioma or asbestosis. You should make your doctor aware of your history of asbestos exposure. If you have been diagnosed with an asbestos related disease, you should also contact an attorney about your right to receive compensation for the injuries and illness that you've suffered.

If you have been diagnosed with mesothelioma, you were exposed to asbestos at some time in your past, often without even knowing about it. Many workers in chemical plants and other industries were exposed without being told that they were working with asbestos. An experienced mesothelioma attorney can help you pinpoint when and where you may have been exposed through a complete work history and consultation. To learn more about your right to sue for compensation, contact an attorney who is experienced in the field of mesothelioma and asbestos litigation.