Electrical Linemen and Cablemen

Prior to 1978, and the widespread acknowledgement that asbestos exposure was responsible for mesothelioma and asbestosis, electrical line and cable men were routinely exposed to asbestos. Today, those involved in electrical work are one of the occupations that may still receive exposure on the job. Asbestos was one of the components used in the manufacturing of insulators on electrical lines. Asbestos was so widely used as a component of these insulators that, unless the insulation is specifically marked as being free of asbestos, they should be assumed to contain the material.

In addition to the insulators used on electrical poles, there were a variety of ways that electrical linemen and cable men could be exposed to asbestos on the job. Because asbestos had the qualities of being fireproof and heatproof it made an excellent insulation. Asbestos was widely used in homes, which lead to other occasions for the electrical linemen and cable men to be exposed to asbestos. Electrical linemen and cable men that were responsible for residential installation of electrical lines were exposed to the variety of asbestos containing materials used in homes during this time period. Areas in which people in these professions might expect to encounter asbestos include in the home's insulation, while working under the home or in the crawl space, and in old electrical equipment and wiring that is being removed and replaced.

Even today, when the use of asbestos has been halted for decades, it is not unusual for electrical linemen and cable men to suffer from asbestos exposure. This is because the homes and businesses where they work often contain asbestos building materials, and their work puts them in close proximity to the aging materials. Asbestos exposure for an electrical lineman or cable man was less than in many industries, including miners and mill workers. These workers handled asbestos daily. Still, the electrical cable man was not immune to health problems from asbestos exposure. Studies have offered differing conclusions regarding the levels of asbestos exposure that may cause health problems. Some studies show a direct correlation between exposure levels and the likelihood of developing asbestos related health issues, while others failed to draw the same conclusion, inferring that even incidental exposure could be enough to cause asbestosis or mesothelioma. Regardless of the level of exposure you may have received in the past, you should make every effort to reduce your exposure in the future. There are many unanswered questions about asbestos, and, for those in industries that still suffer from exposure, it is important to take every precaution.

To reduce the risk of exposure to asbestos, there are a variety of precautions that you can take. While the best way of avoiding exposure is eliminating all contact with asbestos, that is not always feasible. Because the only way to replace asbestos containing power lines and boxes lined with asbestos insulation is by removing them, someone, typically the electrical lineman or cable man, must be responsible for this job. To reduce the risks, electrical linemen and cable men should wear disposable coveralls when working in areas where asbestos is likely to be located. When removing or working around older materials, the electrical worker should also wear a respirator or HEPA filter face mask.

Asbestos Exposure

Asbestos is harmful to your health for many reasons. In addition to mesothelioma and asbestosis, two diseases that are directly related to asbestos exposure, there is also an increased risk of developing other types of cancer when you have been exposed to asbestos. While not fully understood, it is thought that a gene responsible for the slowing or stopping of tumor growth is switched off by the exposure to asbestos.

Asbestosis is a lung disease that people may develop after exposure to asbestos. It is a lung disease that causes a decrease in the lung's ability to move oxygen into the blood and carbon dioxide out of blood. With the body deprived of oxygen, the patient feels fatigue and suffers from shortness of breath. Asbestosis progresses gradually, eventually causing respiratory failure.

Malignant mesothelioma is an fast growing form of cancer that is often fatal. Mesothelioma originates in the thin protective covering of the body's organs, typically the lungs. The tumors are difficult to see on a chest x-ray because they are sandwiched in between the thin layers of the mesothelium. The symptoms of mesothelioma are often mistaken for another disease, such as pneumonia. Coughing, fatigue and night sweats are common early symptoms. Pleural effusions, or the build up of fluid in the mesothelium, is a definitive indicator of mesothelioma, but by the time it occurs, the disease has often progressed to the point where treatment options are poor.

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