Power Plants and Asbestos Exposure

Powerhouse Workers were Exposed to Asbestos on the Job

Until the middle of the 1970's, when health risks associated with asbestos exposure became more widely publicized, asbestos insulation was the primary form of insulation used in Powerhouse environments. This is because enormous levels of heat were generated on a continual basis and asbestos insulation was inexpensive and easy to work with. Asbestos was used to insulate steam pipes, pumps, condensers, turbines and boilers produced by Babcock-Wilcox and Foster-Wheeler to name a few. Boiler rooms were also often fire-proofed with asbestos tiles and asbestos paper.

Working with asbestos products themselves or just being in an area where asbestos insulation products were used frequently put powerhouse workers at risk. This is because tiny fragments of the asbestos product would easily become airborne during the cutting, sanding and grinding that took place during maintenance procedures, making powerhouse workers susceptible to breathing in the dangerous fibers. Because maintenance was routinely performed throughout the powerhouse, all workers were placed at significant risk. Also because powerhouse employees would unknowingly carry home asbestos dust and fibers on their clothing, their family members were also at risk for receiving second hand asbestos exposure.

Powerhouses Across the United States Where Asbestos Exposure Occurred

We have compiled a list of the major Power Plants across the country where our clients have been exposed to asbestos. People who worked at these power plants may be at risk to develop asbestos diseases including malignant mesothelioma and asbestos cancer.

Powerhouse Workers are Prone to Developing Mesothelioma, Lung Cancer and Asbestosis

As mentioned above, asbestos exposure became linked with the development of asbestos-related diseases during the middle of the 1970's. Powerhouse workers who sustained prolonged exposure to asbestos were frequently diagnosed with one of the three main asbestos-related diseases: mesothelioma, lung cancer and asbestosis.

Author: Linda Molinari

Editor in Chief, Mesothelioma Cancer Alliance

Read about Linda