Asbestos exposure in the transportation industry posed more danger in the past but still happens today. The heaviest use of asbestos in cars, road-building equipment, airplanes, and railroads occurred in the past, but asbestos lingers in the industry. Asbestos exposure risks remain high for workers involved in the maintenance, repair, and renovation of older trains, buildings, and roads.[1]
Asbestos in Cars and Other Vehicles
Automobiles were once built with asbestos in numerous components to protect against heat and fire caused by friction. Brakes and clutches were most likely to contain asbestos.
Mechanics who replaced brakes, clutches, and other asbestos parts kicked up dust that likely contained asbestos. Their risk of exposure was high. Anyone who worked around that type of repair work was also at risk.
While new American cars are not built with asbestos, many older and imported parts still contain it. This means mechanics and vintage care hobbyists are still at risk of exposure.
Asbestos in Roadbuilding
While vehicle components have made mechanics some of the transportation workers most vulnerable to asbestos exposure, they aren’t the only ones. Workers involved in the construction of roads were and still are at risk of asbestos exposure in several ways:
- One way workers may encounter asbestos is in asphalt. Asphalt is a common road material made from petroleum products. Asphalt presented a significant risk to workers before the 1970s when asbestos was commonly added to asphalt used to construct roads. Asbestos added strength to asphalt, especially in colder climates where roads break down more easily.
- Workers who constructed those roads were put at risk of inhaling asbestos fibers. Today workers and nearby residents may be at risk as older, asbestos-containing asphalt roads are broken down for repaving.[2]
- Another source of asbestos exposure on roads is the dust created on dirt and gravel roads. When these roads are dry, driving and construction activities can cause plumes of dust to be kicked up, potentially exposing those nearby to asbestos. Depending on the location of the source, dirt and gravel may contain asbestos fibers.
Some states continue to put residents and workers at risk. For example, Alaska recently passed a bill allowing construction companies, including those building roads, to use gravel known to contain asbestos.[3]
Asbestos Use in the Railroad Industry
Railroads that now crisscross the country were once a novelty, an exciting vision of the future. They enabled faster movement of people and goods, expanding the economy and western migration.
While railroad travel has been beneficial, it has also caused harm to workers and nearby residents. One danger railroads have posed is asbestos exposure.
Asbestos was used in several components in the railroad industry. Insulation made with asbestos was commonplace. Asbestos was used to insulate engines and boilers, electrical panels, pipes, and even the walls of railroad cars and depots.
Asbestos could also be found in several materials used to build trains, including sealing cement, gaskets, brake pads, clutches, and ceiling and flooring tiles.
Railroad employees were most at risk of asbestos exposure. Anyone who worked in maintenance and repair or who made components and assembled trains risked inhaling asbestos dust.
Even workers who did not directly handle asbestos materials were at risk. Those who worked in the area were likely exposed to the dust created by other workers.
A survey conducted in the 1980s found disturbing facts about railway workers and asbestos. Results showed nearly a quarter of workers over the age of fifty had been exposed to asbestos.[4]
Asbestos in Airports and Aircraft
For decades, both airplanes and airports have contained asbestos materials. While those materials are now regulated, workers exposed in the past may now suffer from illnesses like mesothelioma.
There are also risks associated with current repairs and renovations of aircraft and airport buildings. Past and current workers are still at risk of developing asbestos illnesses from exposure.
Aircraft long contained asbestos in many components, including insulation in the engine and around electrical components, brakes and heating systems, cargo bay insulation, gaskets, torque valves, and other parts.
Mechanics working on aircraft also used equipment, like epoxy and adhesive, which contained asbestos. Workers who constructed and maintained planes risked asbestos exposure. Those who currently work on older military and civilian planes are still at risk.[5]
Airports were also constructed with asbestos. These facilities often contained asbestos in insulation, ceiling and flooring tiles, and other components. Construction workers who built these facilities were put at risk of asbestos exposure. However, today, people are still at risk as older airports are renovated.
For example, Baltimore Washington International Airport (BWI) recently underwent renovations requiring unexpected abatement of asbestos.[6] In Austin’s international airport, more than 100 workers were exposed to asbestos during a construction project.[7]
Asbestos and Transportation Industry Lawsuits
Some of the transportation made sick by workplace asbestos exposure took legal action to recover damages.
$7 Million for Former CSX Worker
In 2006, a former railway worker filed a lawsuit after he suffered exposure for decades and then developed mesothelioma. In that case, the worker won over $7 million from CSX Transportation.[8]
Aircraft Mechanic Lawsuit
In one current case that has yet to be settled, the widow of a former aircraft mechanic filed suit after her husband died from mesothelioma.
He worked as a mechanic, specifically handling aircraft brakes. He did this work for decades in the 1960s before being diagnosed with mesothelioma in 2009. The mechanic died a year after his initial diagnosis.[9]
Lawsuit Against BNSF Railway
The recent lawsuit brought against BNSF is a little different from other transportation asbestos cases. BNSF transported asbestos-contaminated vermiculite from the W.R. Grace mine in Libby, Montana.
For decades, the mine produced contaminated vermiculite, which harmed mine workers, Libby residents, and workers in vermiculite processing plants around the country.
Some people were harmed by Libby asbestos when BNSF railroad cars stirred up asbestos dust as it transported the contaminated product. Those victims are now suing the railway in federal court.[10]
If You Have Been Exposed to Asbestos in the Transportation Industry
If you have ever worked in the transportation industry, there is a chance you were exposed to asbestos. Be sure to tell your doctor that you should be screened for mesothelioma and other asbestos illnesses. An early diagnosis increases the chances of survival.
If you are diagnosed with mesothelioma, lung cancer, or asbestosis, you may be able to seek compensation to help cover medical expenses. Many employers in this industry knowingly put workers at risk without adequate warning.
If you think you may have a case, contact a mesothelioma lawyer to help you navigate this often confusing process. You might be able to file a lawsuit against asbestos companies, or if they went bankrupt, make a claim with an asbestos trust fund. Act quickly so you don’t miss your opportunity.
