For most of the twentieth century, asbestos was so widespread in industry and construction that a person’s occupation was often the single best predictor of their asbestos exposure. Some jobs meant handling asbestos directly, every day, for a career; others meant working near it as it was cut, torn out, or blown into the air by someone else.
This section covers the occupations most strongly associated with asbestos exposure and mesothelioma. Workers in these jobs — and their families, through take-home exposure — are still being diagnosed decades later.
Occupations With High Asbestos Exposure
- Auto Mechanics — asbestos brake and clutch dust
- Welders — asbestos blankets, gloves, and insulation around hot work
- Electricians — asbestos wire insulation, panels, and building materials
- HVAC Technicians — duct, boiler, and pipe insulation
- Machinists — gaskets, packing, and insulated equipment
- Plumbers & Pipefitters — pipe insulation, gaskets, and packing
- Construction Workers — asbestos throughout building materials
- Millwrights — gaskets, packing, insulation, and refractory on industrial machinery
- Auto Body Workers — asbestos-reinforced body filler sanding dust
- Stationary Engineers & Boiler Operators — boiler-room insulation, gaskets, packing, and refractory
- Elevator Constructors — elevator brake shoes, shaft fireproofing, machine-room insulation
- Sandblasters & Abrasive Blasters — blasting off asbestos fireproofing, insulation, and refractory
- Food & Beverage Plant Workers — steam, oven, and refrigeration insulation, gaskets, and packing
- Glaziers — asbestos glazing compounds, caulks, and window sealants
- Terrazzo & Tile Setters — setting mastics, adhesives, and cutting/grinding dust
Union Trades
Several of the highest-exposure building trades have their own dedicated resources: Insulators, Boilermakers, Bricklayers, and Sheet Metal Workers.
Where They Were Exposed
The materials these workers handled are documented in the AsbestosIndex product and manufacturer database, and the facilities where they worked in the jobsite crosswalk.
If you worked in one of these occupations and were diagnosed with mesothelioma or another asbestos-related disease after exposure to asbestos, you may have a legal claim.
This information is published by an independent media organization — not a law firm — and is educational only. It does not constitute legal advice or provide legal services.