Asbestos Exposure in Oil Refineries

Asbestos exposure in oil refineries is an ongoing problem for workers. Refineries are dangerous places to work, and asbestos helped protect against fires and explosions.[1] Refineries use asbestos much less often now, but facilities still contain some of it today, putting oil refinery workers at risk of developing serious illnesses like mesothelioma.

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U.S. Refineries

More than 170,000 people work in petroleum refining in the U.S.[2] There are about 130 oil refineries in the U.S., with most industry employees located in the state of Texas.[3]

Refineries require trained, specialized workers. Jobs people do in these facilities include:

• Welding
• Ppipe-fitting
• Electrical work
• Boiler operation
• engineering
• Mechanical work
• Operating processing units
• Designing and testing equipment and products
• Maintaining and repairing machinery

Asbestos in Refineries

Asbestos is not used as extensively in refineries as it once was; however, workers who have long been retired are now facing possibilities of becoming seriously ill. Even current workers are still at risk as asbestos is still used in oil refinery applications.

Asbestos is most commonly used in insulation. This is because asbestos is highly effective at insulating from heat and resisting fire.

Asbestos may be used as a safety measure wherever a risk of fire and excessive heat is present. Asbestos insulation was installed around pipes, lining tanks and boilers, furnaces, heat exchangers, pumps, reactors, and tanks.

Asbestos was also used in machinery components like gaskets. Sealants in gaskets and pipes also used asbestos to prevent leaks. Construction materials used in facilities, including flooring, roofing, ceiling, adhesives, tapes, and wall materials, also often contain asbestos.

Additionally, refinery workers used protective equipment made with asbestos. This equipment included gloves, shields, and clothing designed to protect workers while performing their jobs.

How Refinery Workers Are Exposed

Most of those facilities, built before any restrictions protected workers, are still in operation today. Although abatement has been performed in some locations, most refineries today still contain potentially harmful asbestos.

Asbestos is safe when contained; however, if any asbestos product is disturbed, fibers can become airborne. Once in the air, workers may inhale the fibers. Inhaled fibers may embed in tissues of the human body, causing cell damage.[4]

Maintenance and repair workers are at particular risk because they take components apart, often disturbing old asbestos. Anyone working with repair, installation, or maintenance of equipment containing asbestos may become exposed.

All refinery workers and residents in the surrounding areas may be at risk of asbestos exposure, especially during tragic explosions. Refineries have been known to explode, and beyond the immediate and obvious dangers, this kind of accident also spreads dangerous asbestos fibers.

Research

Several studies have investigated asbestos exposure and mesothelioma in oil refinery workers. Studies from various locations have confirmed workers have been exposed to asbestos and are at a greater risk for mesothelioma than the general population.

The first study to make the connection between asbestos and mesothelioma in refinery workers appeared in 1994. Researchers first examined men working in Italian refineries between 1914 and 1988.

The research compared white-collar workers to blue-collar workers, like maintenance workers and electricians. Researchers found the blue-collar workers were at greater risk for mesothelioma. They also concluded most of the cases of mesothelioma could be attributed to asbestos exposure on the job.[5]

A more recent study confirmed asbestos in refineries was causing mesothelioma. Examining refinery workers in Canada and Italy, this research found at least 96% of mesothelioma cases were due to asbestos exposure.[6] These results have since been backed by similar studies in other locations, including the United Kingdom.

Lawsuits

If you worked in oil refineries and are now facing a mesothelioma diagnosis, your cancer may have been caused by workplace asbestos exposure. Other workers have filed and won lawsuits against refineries and manufacturers of equipment and materials that contained asbestos.

One lawsuit was filed by a man diagnosed with mesothelioma in 2007. Amanollah Shahabi worked in refineries in the 1980s. Shahabi won a nearly $15 million settlement from the A.W. Chesterton Company, which manufactured gaskets, hydraulic devices, and other refinery equipment with asbestos.[7]

Another lawsuit has been filed against several petroleum companies, including ExxonMobil and Texaco. Ginger Hall, the wife of a refinery worker, developed mesothelioma from secondhand asbestos exposure. Hall’s husband brought fibers home on his clothes for years.

Once inside of their home, Ginger inhaled the tiny asbestos fibers and later developed cancer. She is filing a suit claiming that the companies that employed her husband failed to protect against asbestos.[8]

Both past and present, Refinery workers have been put at risk of asbestos exposure and the potential health consequences. If you have worked in a refinery, it is important to know your rights, understand how workers are supposed to be protected on the job. Be sure to contact OSHA if you believe you have not been provided with adequate asbestos protection.

Page Edited by Patient Advocate Dave Foster

Dave has been a mesothelioma Patient Advocate for over 10 years. He consistently attends all major national and international mesothelioma meetings. In doing so, he is able to stay on top of the latest treatments, clinical trials, and research results. He also personally meets with mesothelioma patients and their families and connects them with the best medical specialists and legal representatives available.

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