The job of a draftsman is highly technical, but few realized they may be jeopardizing their health. In fact the health and safety of others is one of the main concerns of draftsmen. Draftsmen are responsible for designing and drawing plans for a variety of projects. A draftsman employed by a mine may draw up designs for roads, mine shafts and any other technical material that needs designed. While a draftsman may draw plans for many different projects, draftsmen that worked for mining companies were the ones that often suffered from asbestos exposure. While much of the draftsman's job was completed in the office, there were also times when it was necessary to make site visits.

Draftsmen are not responsible for building the designs, just planning them so that they are safe and work properly. A draftsmen does much of his work in an office, but will commonly visit the site when he is planning a project. These visits are important so that he can see the land, what structures may be affected, and meet with other people involved in the process. The on site meeting is an integral part of the design process, and one that the draftsman will not skip. This time is necessary to determine exactly what the supervisor has in mind for the project and to make sure that everyone is on the same page design wise.

The time that the draftsman spends on site is also when asbestos exposure is likely to occur. Asbestos exposure is common at mine sites because the asbestos, which is a fine particle, becomes airborne in the dusty mining environment. The asbestos particles are ingested or inhaled. While miners are the ones who typically suffer from exposure to asbestos, anyone who spends time at a mining site can suffer from health problems due to exposure.

Asbestos was located in mining areas for a number of reasons. Asbestos, which was widely used for its insulation properties, was contained in many of the areas of the mines, as lining on brakes, in the electrical wiring, and in protective gear. Additionally, asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral, and is present in the soil in many areas. The mining environment provides the perfect opportunity for the dust to be stirred up and asbestos particles to become airborne. One mine, in Libby, Montana, had such high levels of asbestos mixed with the vermiculite that was being mined that the entire town was contaminated by the dust raised during the mining process.

If you worked as a draftsman at a mine site that had a high level of asbestos, you may be concerned that you have already suffered from asbestos exposure. You should share these concerns with your family doctor. The earlier mesothelioma or asbestosis is diagnosed, the greater the chance of an effective treatment. Sharing your past history of exposure with your physician allows him to decide what type of screening should be used. It also allows him to provide you with the best medical care for your situation. Working together with your doctor provides you with the best chance of an early diagnosis and successful treatment if you should develop asbestos related disease.

Another concern for draftsmen is secondary exposure. Unlike the actual mining employees, draftsmen did not typically change into coveralls before entering the job site. While miners and other regular workers on site wore these protective clothes, and then removed them and left them in their lockers at work, the draftsmen often arrived in his office clothes, which where then worn home. Asbestos is invisible to the naked eye, and unfortunately can be carried into the home on clothes and shoes. There have been documented cases of mesothelioma that are traced to exposure through a parent or spouse working around the material and bringing it home on their clothing.

The Dangers of Asbestos Exposure

Exposure to asbestos causes asbestosis, an incurable lung disease and mesothelioma, a form of cancer that starts in the protective tissue surrounding the body's organs, such as the lungs, heart or stomach. Both mesothelioma and asbestosis develop many years after the initial exposure to asbestos. Often the worker has just retired from a lifetime of hard work when he is diagnosed with one of these diseases.

Asbestosis and mesothelioma are both typically well advanced by the time they are diagnosed. The symptoms of mesothelioma and asbestosis are similar to many other diseases that are more common. While a late diagnosis in the case of asbestosis is not devastating, because there is no effective cure, mesothelioma, is a different situation. One of the reasons for the high mortality rate associated with mesothelioma is because it has typically spread through the body by the time that it is diagnosed. The treatment, which is a combination of radiation, chemotherapy and surgery, is often not satisfactory, and most patients do not live past the two year mark once diagnosed.