Civil engineers are involved in many branches of construction and may be exposed to asbestos in many different ways in the course of their work. While many think of civil engineers as an office job, the truth is that a great deal of the work involves on-site visits to construction sites, including road and bridge construction, building construction and dams and other structures.

In the past, a visit to any construction site was almost certain to expose the visitor to asbestos. Few contractors understood the dangers of asbestos and almost no one took any safety precautions to reduce the amount of asbestos dust floating in the air. Since asbestos was so widely used, both as a construction material and as parts of the equipment used for construction, asbestos fibers were thick and heavy in the air.

Even today, civil engineers are not safe from asbestos exposure. Many are involved in renovating and retrofitting existing structures that were originally made with asbestos-containing products. When they visit work sites to evaluate conditions and prepare construction plans, they may be exposed to asbestos released when old walls, roads and other components are demolished and renovated.

Asbestos Exposure

The construction industry was one of the biggest users of asbestos and asbestos-based products in history. Materials that contained asbestos included asbestos cement, asbestos sheeting and asbestos board. Roadways often were made with tar and concrete that was partly made with asbestos. Pipes and conduits for sewers and water systems on which civil engineers often worked were made with asbestos as well.

All of those materials had to be mixed, cut, shaped, sanded, drilled, poured and otherwise worked in ways that created dust and scattered asbestos fibers into the air. Anyone on the project site, whether it was a bridge, skyscraper, dam or road, was breathing in air full of dust and asbestos fibers that could be up to 1,200 times finer than a human hair. Those fibers invade the lungs, working their way through the lung tissues and into the pleural lining, called the mesothelium.

Once in the body, asbestos fibers cause a great deal of damage which may not be evident for decades. Ranging from 10 to 50 years after exposure, a person exposed to asbestos fibers may develop asbestosis, lung cancer, or mesothelioma, a rare cancer that destroys the layer of tissue surrounding the lungs, heart and abdominal cavity. The incidence of mesothelioma, very rare in the general population, is considerably higher among those occupations that were most likely to be exposed to asbestos.

Precautions to Prevent Asbestos Exposure

Anyone who will be working on road repair, bridge deconstruction or building demolition or renovation should be aware of the risk of asbestos exposure. Many materials that were used in constructing bridges, roads, sewer systems and other projects on which civil engineers may be consulted were blended with asbestos to increase their fire resistance, durability and tensile strength.

The most common of those materials are asbestos cement and transite, both of which were used in making underground pipes for sewer systems and drainage systems, as well as for other uses. Steel beams used to build skyscraper and bridge skeletons may have been coated with asbestos fireproofing sprays and the gravel used in roadbeds may have contained crushed asbestos cement.

Any time that these structures are disturbed, asbestos fibers may be released into the air. Those working in and around sites where asbestos-containing materials may be removed, crushed, cut or demolished should be wearing protective safety equipment, including respirator masks and protective clothing.

If you are diagnosed with mesothelioma or another asbestos-related disease, you may have the right to compensation for your injuries and illness. A lawyer who is experienced in asbestos and mesothelioma lawsuits can review your work and medical history and talk to you about the possibility of recovering damages from those whose products made you ill. Many have already received financial assistance to help pay for medical expenses and lost wages.

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