Power Plant Workers & Asbestos Exposure
Occupational Asbestos Exposure for Power Plant Workers
Prior to the late 20th century, power plants and other facilities that generated electricity were riddled with asbestos because it could withstand the demands of industrial energy production. Unfortunately, workers in these plants were routinely exposed to harmful asbestos fibers that increased their risks of developing diseases like mesothelioma and lung cancer years later.
If you or someone you love was diagnosed with mesothelioma or another asbestos-related disease, past work in a power plant, power station, or other industrial occupation involved in power generation may allow you to seek compensation for your losses.
SWMW Law is an award-winning plaintiffs trial practice with a reputation for championing the rights of asbestos exposure victims nationwide. Backed by more than 100 years of cumulative experience, we’ve recovered millions of dollars in compensation for workers in power plants, chemical plants, industrial facilities, and other at-risk occupations, securing victories against some of the country’s largest corporations and insurance carriers in the process. If you have a potential case, we can help.
Learn how past employment in a power plant could provide the basis for your mesothelioma or asbestos exposure claim. Call (888) 422-8877or contact us online for a FREE consultation.
How Power Plant Workers Were Exposed to Asbestos
For power plants and their elaborate systems – which generate, store, and distribute power by converting primary energy sources (such as nuclear energy, thermal energy, and oil, coal, and natural gas) into electricity – asbestos was for decades seen as a necessity because it enabled equipment to withstand the constant and corrosive demands of energy production.
As such, asbestos was used widely in power plants across the U.S. for most of the 20th century and could be found in everything from the floors, ceilings, and building materials that surrounded workers to the insulation, piping, boilers, and heavy equipment they operated and handled daily.
Unfortunately, the prevalence of asbestos-containing materials in power plants meant nearly all workers in these facilities were likely exposed to asbestos – especially if they worked in plants prior to the 1980s, when the U.S. began restricting the use of asbestos, or in aging facilities that still contained asbestos-laden products well into the 21st century.
But while exposure risks were broad, workers with certain duties or occupations may have faced more pronounced risks than others. This includes workers who directly installed, repaired, or operated equipment and systems lined with asbestos insulation and other asbestos-containing components. Workers who sawed, cut, removed, replaced, or otherwise disturbed asbestos-containing materials, and those who replaced or repaired degraded materials that contained asbestos, also faced significant risks. This is because their work would have unknowingly dispersed harmful asbestos fibers into the air where they could be inhaled or ingested.
Some examples of power plant workers who faced considerable asbestos exposure risks include:
- Plumbers, pipefitters , and other power plant workers who installed, repaired, and operated piping systems lined with asbestos insulation and asbestos-laden solvents.
- Electricians and engineers who worked on electrical systems that required them to work with or cut through asbestos-containing materials.
- Boilermakers who installed, repaired, and operated boilers and other vessels filled with insulation, pumps, gaskets, and valves that contained asbestos.
- Insulators, millwrights, and construction workers, who helped erect, build, and maintain industrial power stations and their essential systems, including turbines and generators.
- Mechanics and maintenance workers cut, sawed, and repaired various parts of power plants that contained asbestos or otherwise worked on or cleaned equipment and facilities filled with toxic asbestos dust.
But while exposure risks were broad, workers with certain duties or occupations may have faced more pronounced risks than others. This includes workers who directly installed, repaired, or operated equipment and systems lined with asbestos insulation and other asbestos-containing components. Workers who sawed, cut, removed, replaced, or otherwise disturbed asbestos-containing materials, and those who replaced or repaired degraded materials that contained asbestos, also faced significant risks. This is because their work would have unknowingly dispersed harmful asbestos fibers into the air where they could be inhaled or ingested.
Unfortunately, exposure risks also extended to families and others who lived with power plant workers. As studies have shown, people who lived with workers in asbestos-related industries have higher rates of malignant mesothelioma than the general population. This is due to secondary exposure, which occurs when workers exposed to asbestos on the job bring fibers into their homes on their clothing, skin, and equipment. One 1978 study found that marriage to an asbestos-exposed worker was the single greatest risk factor for developing mesothelioma apart from occupational exposure.
What Our Clients Say About Working With SWMW Law
At SWMW Law, we’re more than legal advocates — we’re a source of support during the most difficult times in our clients’ lives. We’re proud to be trusted by families across the country, and even prouder to share what they have to say about working with us.
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“SWMW did an amazing job! They started the process with my father but during the process my father passed. They were so helpful when it came to us, his children, taking over in place of my dad. They answered every call and were extremely patient and supportive of us. They really did a great job with keeping us informed and educated. They fought for us. I would recommend them to anyone that hears the diagnosis of Mesothelioma. They will fight for you 100% of the way. Thank you SWMW Team for your support and patience! We truly appreciate all of you! – The Anderson’s”
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I would personally like to thank you and your staff for how you’ve have helped me and my family with a bit of our loss. It doesn’t bring my dear wife back, but it helps relieve some of our daily stress as we push on. Thank you.
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Everyone at SWMW Law have went above & beyond. They’ve been so compassionate & so very helpful. I really didn’t think I would be getting anything for my late husband. I feel like they have found every way possible to get something in the memory of my late husband. He didn’t deserve to pass the way he did, & SWMW Law are making sure his death wasn’t in vain. Ty you to Lyndsy & everyone who has put long hours into helping me. My deepest appreciation to you all.
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I cannot say enough wonderful things about the SWMW Law Firm. This firm has a team of amazing, smart and professional attorneys and staff. They really care about their clients and go above and beyond to obtain justice. If I could give them more than 5 stars I would!! Thank you all for your incredible work that you do!
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SWMW Law is dedicated to helping victims and families in the fight against corporations that care more about profits than people. Comprised of award-winning attorneys, our team has helped clients take on powerful defendants in courts across the country and has helped countless victims and families secure the justice and compensation they deserved.
If you have questions about an asbestos claim involving Power Plant Workers, call (888) 422-8877.
Sources of Asbestos Exposure in Power Plants
Found in everything from essential equipment and machinery to power station structures themselves, asbestos at one time played a critical role in the systems that powered our society. However, this meant that workers in power plants and other energy production occupations faced constant risks of being exposed to asbestos-containing products.
Power plant workers may have been exposed to a variety of asbestos-containing products, including:
- Thermal Pipe & Block Insulation
- Boilers
- Valves
- Gaskets
- Protective Equipment
- Insulating Boards and Blankets
- Pumps
- Steam Traps
- Packing
- Insulating and Refractory Cement Firebrick
Studies Show Increased Risks of Mesothelioma, Asbestos-Related Disease Among Power Plant Workers
The connection between work in power plants and serious asbestos-related diseases like mesothelioma has been established through years of studies and epidemiological reviews.
Some examples include:
- A 2015 study published in the Occupational Environmental Medicine Journal found industrial workers, including those in energy production, are 4x more likely to develop pleural mesothelioma than people who did not perform industrial jobs. Pleural mesothelioma , which forms in the lining of the lungs, is the most common form of asbestos-related cancer.
- A pair of studies published in 2019 found high rates of mesothelioma and asbestosis among U.S. nuclear power plant workers and excess deaths from those diseases among construction and trades workers employed by the U.S. Department of Energy.
- A 1995 study published in the American Journal of Industrial Medicine found increased rates of mesothelioma and lung cancer among workers in Italian thermoelectric power plants.
- A 1979 study from the Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences assessed asbestos exposure risks in an electricity-generation power station found a considerable presence of airborne asbestos fibers in sampled air, as well as various signs of exposure among power plant workers, including pleural thickening, pleural calcification, and other respiratory symptoms.
Compensation and Justice for Power Plant Workers Exposed to Asbestos
Power plant workers, as well as family members who lived with them during peak years of asbestos use, face increased risks of developing mesothelioma, lung cancer, and other diseases that have profound and devastating consequences.
Fortunately, victims and families can pursue justice and financial compensation for their losses by navigating various legal pathways. These include:
- Asbestos trust fund claims Power plant workers and their families may have grounds to seek compensation through special trust funds that were established when companies that knowingly made asbestos-containing products reorganized or went out of business in bankruptcy.
- Personal injury or wrongful death claims. Depending on the circumstances, power plant workers and surviving relatives of deceased workers may be able to pursue civil claims against solvent companies that negligently manufactured, distributed, or otherwise exposed workers to asbestos. As with asbestos trust fund claims, civil claims require plaintiffs to prove their history of exposure.
Asbestos companies knew for decades that their products were dangerous but continued to make and distribute a variety of asbestos-containing products without adequately warning the consumers and workers who handled them. By pursuing civil or trust fund claims, victims have a powerful opportunity to hold these companies accountable and recover the compensation they deserve.
Whether it is a trust fund claim or civil claim, our team at SWMW Law conducts meticulous investigations to help clients prove their exposure history and the scope of their losses and works tirelessly to position them for the maximum compensation possible.
Depending on the facts of your case, you may be entitled to compensation for:
- Past medical bills
- Future medical expenses
- Lost wages or lost financial support
- Lost wages or lost financial support
- Loss of consortium and emotional injuries
- Other economic and non-economic losses
Learn more about your rights and legal options.
Examples of Our Results
SWMW Law has successfully litigated asbestos cases in courts across the country and has recovered millions in compensation for workers and families harmed by occupational asbestos exposure. This includes petrochemical and refinery workers, industrial workers, and many others in at-risk occupations.
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Trial Verdict
$12,152,750
Machine Operator with Mesothelioma
Virginia
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Trial Verdict
$9,700,000
Mesothelioma *
Wisconsin
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Settlement
$8,326,761
Pipefitter with Mesothelioma
Missouri
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Settlement
$7,860,827
Plumber/Pipefitter with Mesothelioma
Illinois
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Settlement
$7,254,809
Laborer with Mesothelioma
Missouri
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Settlement
$6,851,663
Pipefitter with Mesothelioma
Illinois
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Trial Verdict
$6,000,000
Stemfitter with Meothelioma*
Virginia
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Settlement
$4,552,221
Sheet metal worker with Mesothelioma
Missouri
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Settlement
$4,462,875
Laborer with Mesothelioma
Louisiana
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Settlement
$4,412,659
Navy with Mesothelioma
Missouri
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