Shipyard workers suffer higher rates of mesothelioma, lung cancer and asbestosis because asbestos products were used in nearly every part of shipbuilding. U.S. veterans were exposed in Navy shipyards and civilians were exposed in commercial shipyards to asbestos insulation, gaskets, pumps and pipes.
Quick Facts About Operating Engineers and Asbestos
Asbestos-Related Disease Risk:
High
States with Highest Employment:
California, Florida, Texas
How Operating Engineers Were Exposed to Asbestos
Operating engineers were exposed to asbestos when running, maintaining and repairing machinery built with asbestos parts. Working with other trades that disturbed asbestos materials also put them at risk. Construction workers serving as heavy-equipment operators handled and changed brakes, clutches and gaskets made with asbestos, breathing in the dust from brake and friction work. Even working in the cab, these particles could reach them.
Stationary engineers serviced boilers, pipes, valves and pumps that were insulated, lagged, and packed with asbestos, all in confined plant and boiler rooms. Older equipment and buildings from before the 1980s carried the highest risk for asbestos exposure.
Expert Insight
“Construction workers and people in industries such as engineering deal with older materials and older items and objects that may have asbestos in them.”
Sean Marchese, registered nurse
Products Associated with Operating Engineers
Asbestos in heavy equipment appeared in the friction parts, seals and insulation that operating engineers worked with every day. Certain asbestos products such as friction and gasket parts remained in service well past the 1980s. Exposure continued long after asbestos use declined, putting more people at risk.
Heavy equipment operators run cranes, bulldozers, excavators, graders, front-end loaders, scrapers, hoists and similar machinery. They encountered asbestos on construction, earthmoving and demolition jobs.
Heat-shielding in cranes, dozers, loaders and trucks
Millboard
Packing, transmission and friction components
Refractory and cement
Valve and pump packing
Attorney Kevin Paul explains, “You also have tractor trailers and then the heavy equipment, like giant cranes that were filled with brake lines that had asbestos well past the 1980s.” Historically, they faced extensive asbestos exposure from friction and sealing components on the clutches and brake linings of their heavy machinery as well as on demolition sites and working near other trades using materials with asbestos.
Engineers operate and maintain boilers, turbines, chillers, and HVAC/powerhouse systems in buildings, power plants, hospitals, schools, and industrial facilities such as high pressure boiler and building operating engineer roles. Every day, they would work around these insulated areas and materials in enclosed areas that were often packed with asbestos.
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Diseases Linked to Asbestos Exposure in Operating Engineers
Asbestos exposure is linked to several serious diseases in operating engineers, most notably pleural mesothelioma, lung cancer and asbestosis. Their long-standing association with the International Union of Operating Engineers highlights the scale of the trade’s history and the collective efforts to address these occupational health risks.
Asbestos-Related Diseases
Asbestosis: A noncancerous but serious scarring of the lungs from long-term, heavy exposure, it can cause major health complications. There is no cure, and it may raise your risk for asbestos-related cancers.
Lung cancer: For those exposed to asbestos, the risk of this cancer is far greater and that risk multiplies for workers who also smoked.
Pleural mesothelioma: The primary cause of this cancer is asbestos exposure. It forms in the lining around the lungs, known as the pleura.
Mesothelioma in particular has a long latency period of 20 to 60 years, from the point of exposure to diagnosis. That means you could be diagnosed even now during your retirement years for exposure to asbestos decades ago.
Compensation and Benefits for Operating Engineers
Operating engineers who are diagnosed with an asbestos-related disease may be eligible for mesothelioma compensation including legal claims, asbestos trust funds and VA benefits, as well as medical and financial assistance. Family members may file claims related to either a loved one’s diagnosis or death, which includes wrongful death and trust fund claims.
List title: Options for Asbestos Compensation
Legal claims and asbestos trust funds: You may be able to recover mesothelioma compensation through an asbestos lawsuit and asbestos trust funds. Many of the manufacturers who made the equipment, parts and insulation established trust funds that still pay mesothelioma patients today.
Medical and financial assistance: There are treatment programs, travel grants and free resources that can help you through this difficult time.
VA benefits: Since many operating engineers also served in the military through the Navy, Seabees and as Army engineers, they may qualify for VA benefits for veterans, including disability and health care.
Spouses of operating engineers or their children who experienced secondary exposure to asbestos through fibers on clothing, hair and tools may have their own claims. A mesothelioma attorney can help navigate the legal process. With medical bills, personal financial losses and pain and suffering, compensation and financial assistance is available to those with a mesothelioma diagnosis.
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Your Next Steps After Asbestos Exposure as an Operating Engineer
Although mesothelioma and other asbestos-related illnesses can take decades to develop, recognizing an asbestos exposure history is an important first step. You’re not alone in navigating this, and you can connect to those who will monitor your health and advocate for your rights.
What to Do Next
Schedule a doctor’s appointment: Tell your doctor about your work history as an operating engineer.
Ask about medical screenings: Your doctor can schedule ongoing lung monitoring or baseline exams like CT scans or chest X-rays.
Explore VA benefits: If you served in the military and were exposed to asbestos as an operating engineer, you may be eligible to receive VA healthcare and compensation benefits.
Review legal resources: Consult with experts who specialize in asbestos exposure and mesothelioma claims to learn about your rights and understand your options.
Mesothelioma specialists, legal experts and Patient Advocates are available. Our Patient Advocate team can help engineers diagnosed with mesothelioma with doctor matching and financial assistance.
Common Questions About Operating Engineers and Asbestos Exposure
Are operating engineers still exposed to asbestos today?
While exposure today is far lower than it was decades ago, operating engineers can still be exposed to asbestos when working on older equipment or in buildings constructed prior to the 1980s. Federal safety rules still apply because of the potential for occupational asbestos exposure.
Did asbestos brakes affect heavy equipment operators specifically?
Yes, asbestos brake and clutch components produced dust both during use and in replacements. Friction parts in heavy equipment kept asbestos in service well past the 1980s.
Are stationary (building) engineers at the same risk as heavy equipment operators?
Both faced major risks but from different sources. Building engineers mainly encountered boiler and pipe insulation, gaskets, and packing in plant rooms. Heavy equipment operators encountered asbestos from friction and gasket parts.
How long after exposure do symptoms appear in operating engineers?
Mesothelioma symptoms as well as signs of other asbestos-related diseases often take 20 to 50 years to surface, which is why many operating engineers are diagnosed years after they’ve retired.
What should an operating engineer do if they think they were exposed?
If you think you were exposed, tell your doctor about your work history and ask about screening, then gather details about the equipment, sites, and years you worked. Our free resources can help you get started.
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