Power Plant Workers & Asbestos Exposure 

Prior to the late 20^th 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 (855) 744-1922 or contact us onlinefor 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 20^th 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 21^st 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. 

Even workers who did not directly handle asbestos-containing products faced risks of inhaling harmful fibers, especially during the peak years of asbestos use. Many plants had inadequate air circulation, allowing minuscule asbestos fibers to linger in the air for prolonged periods. This posed a significant threat to employees throughout the plant, from supervisors and administrators to engineers and office staff, who, with routine exposure, would have greatly increased their risks of developing mesothelioma or other asbestos-related diseases.

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.

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: