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How Can a Finishing Mill Worker Get Mesothelioma by Occupational Exposure to Asbestos?
Finishing mill workers apply a surface texture to metal as it completes rolling mill, extrusion die or drawing processes. They work with sheet, bar and plate metal and may form metal into basic shapes such as plates, sheets, strips, rods, bars and tubing. They use polishing, industrial etching or other surface finishing processes as the final step in the metal production process. Depending on the type of texture they apply to metal, these workers may use various processes, such as oxidizing the metal, using die marks on metal products or polishing the products. In some applications, the finishing work is followed by the application of a matte finish.
Finishing mill workers must use material handling equipment to complete their jobs. They may work with a variety of metals and tools, including:
- Hot metal
- Pig iron
- Ferroy alloys
- Iron ore
- Iron and steel scrap
- Metal sheets
- Rolling iron
Some of the tools and machinery in these factories contained asbestos. Asbestos is a good insulator and was often included in products that came in contact with materials at high temperatures. As workers fed vessels scrap metal, controlled machinery or wore protective clothing around hot surfaces, they may have breathed in asbestos fibers that were released from these products.
Locations in the United States for the Highest Employment Rates for Finishing Mill Workers
Locations in the United States for the highest employment rates for finishing mill workers include:
- Pennsylvania
- Indiana
- Michigan
- Illinois
Similar Occupations as Finishing Mill Workers
Similar occupations as finishing mill workers include:
- Assemblers
- Boilermakers
- Carpenters
- Cement masons and terrazza workers
- Construction workers
- Fabricators
- Reinforcing iron and rebar workers
- Steel mill workers
- Welders
Lawsuits and Settlements Involving Finishing Mill Workers and Mesothelioma
While there are limited numbers of reported lawsuits and settlements involving finishing mill workers and mesothelioma, individuals who developed mesothelioma after working in this profession may have several legal options for recovery. They may be eligible for workers’ compensation benefits to cover medical expenses and partial wage replacement income. Many manufactures set up asbestos trust funds to provide damages to individuals who were harmed by their products, and finishing mill workers may be able to make a claim with such funds. Another option is to file a personal injury lawsuit against the asbestos manufacturers that exposed workers to their dangerous products.
Studies Related to Finishing Mill Workers and Asbestos
A number of research studies have explored the connection between asbestos and metal factories and steel mills. An increased number of asbestosis cases were observed in pipe coverers working in steel mills.
The Mesothelioma Registry of the Province of Brescia has collected data regarding mesothelioma cases from 1980 to the present date. This registry includes 289 cases. Of these, 55 workers spent at least five years in the steel industry. For eight people who worked in steel mills and the production of electrical steel pipe, lung tissue samples were available that showed the concentration of asbestos fibers, which ranged from 260,000 and 11,000,000 fibers per grams of tissue. Seven of these resulted in being able to confirm the diagnosis. Larger asbestos fiber concentrations were observed in maintenance workers, especially those who worked in the same plant where a cluster of malignant mesothelioma was identified.
A Belgium study of steelworkers also found an increased number of asbestosis concentrations, which were heightened in maintenance and production workers.
Types of Asbestos Products Used by Finishing Mill Workers
The three most common types of asbestos-containing products that finishing mil workers may have come in contact with were:
- Machinery and equipment insulation – Metal factories and processes often used asbestos to insulate machinery and other equipment, including ovens, hot blast stoves, furnaces, tanks, boilers, cranes, steam pipes, rolling mills and molding boards. Asbestos is resistant to heat and helps prevent fires, so it was often used in various products in industrial settings. Additionally, asbestos was included in gaskets and brake linings for cranes, so as friction resulted in a wearing of these materials, asbestos fibers would become airborne and breathed in by workers.
- Protective clothing – Because asbestos helped prevent fires and burns, it was often added to protective clothing like gloves, facemasks, coveralls and aprons. Workers who were in direct contact with furnaces often had to wear this protective clothing to protect them from molten metal.
- Construction materials – Asbestos is cheap and durable, so it was used in a variety of construction materials, including floor tiles, ceiling tiles, liner boards, refractory bricks and insulation for the mill.
Manufacturers of Asbestos Products Used by Finishing Mill Workers
Manufacturers of asbestos products that finishing mill workers may have worked with or came in contact with may include:
- AK Steel
- Keystone Steel & Wire Co.
- LTV Steel
- Porter Hayden Co.
- USX Corporation
- Weirton Steel
- Wheeling-Pittsburgh Steel Corp.
