Occupational Asbestos Exposure
Asbestos became widely used for commercial purposes in the late 19th century. This was due to its properties of having tensile strength, sound absorption, and resistance to heat. Asbestos fibers were often mixed with cement or woven into fabric or mats during industrial production. The fibers were also used in electric oven and hotplate wiring for its electrical insulation properties and in buildings for its flame retardant and insulating properties. Asbestos also has resistance to chemicals.
By World War II, industrial use of asbestos was found in concrete, bricks, pipes, pipe insulation, fireplace cement, gaskets, ceiling insulation, drywall, fire retardant coatings, roofing materials, and flooring materials. Shipbuilding was an industry that had particularly heavy use of asbestos products. It was used to line the boilers, wrap the pipes, and to cover turbine and engine parts. Asbestos fibers were also once heavily used for automotive parts such as brake pads, clutch discs, and brake shoes.
Workers in all western countries experienced industrial exposure to asbestos. Asbestos use was highest in countries such as the U.S., Japan, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Wide use of asbestos of commercial products in Japan did not drop precipitously until about 1990. The Japanese government did not fully ban the use of all asbestos products until 2004. Asbestos is a known carcinogen.
Occupations with higher levels of asbestos exposure include construction, firefighters, mining, textile manufacturing, railroad, HVAC, drywall installation, painting, tiling, roofing, automotive manufacturing, auto parts manufacturing, ship vessel repair, and shipbuilding. The longer the worker has asbestos exposure, the greater the risk of disease. It also known that smoking combined with asbestos exposure greatly increases the risk of malignant mesothelioma.