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How Can a Railroad Brake, Signal and Switch Operator Get Mesothelioma by Occupational Exposure to Asbestos?
Railroad brake, signal and switch operators operate railroad track switches so that they can manage rail traffic safely. They couple or uncouple rolling stock to connect or break up trains, often traveling with a train crew. They also install and maintain train signals that help keep trains running in the right direction in a safe manner.
Railroads were once the most common way to transport goods across state lines. More than 300,000 miles of track are spread across the United States that required operators’ assistance to safely operate. These workers walked along tracks and worked with materials in the train and rail cars that may have been contaminated with asbestos. Additionally, asbestos was included in many structures as construction materials, such as floor and ceiling tiles, paints, wallboard and insulation. The rail yards and houses where these workers spent most of their working hours may have been contaminated with these asbestos-containing materials.
Common job duties of railroad brake, signal and switch operators include the following:
- Install and maintain signals along tracks and in rail yards
- Pull or push track switches to reroute rail cars
- Signal engineers by hand, radio communication or flagging to stop trains
- Observe signals from other train crew members so work activities can be coordinated
- Couple or uncouple cars from trains
- Inspect couplings, handbrakes, air hoses, journal boxes and other parts to ensure that they are fastened securely and working properly
Locations in the United States for the Highest Employment Rates for Railroad Brake, Signal and Switch Operators
According to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, there are currently 14,270 railroad brake, signal and switch operators currently employed in the United States. States with the highest employment rates for these workers include:
- Texas
- Illinois
- Georgia
- Missouri
- New York
Similar Occupations as Railroad Brake, Signal and Switch Operators
Similar occupations as railroad brake, signal and switch operators include:
- Air traffic controllers
- Delivery truck drivers and driver/sales workers
- Hand laborers and material movers
- Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers
- Material moving machine operators
- Quality control inspectors
- Railroad workers
- Railyard workers
- Subway and streetcar operators
- Water transportation workers
Lawsuits and Settlements Involving Railroad Brake, Signal and Switch Operators and Mesothelioma
There have been several lawsuits brought by former railroad workers who were exposed to asbestos. For example, a railroad worker’s widow was awarded a $7.4 million verdict in 2006 against CSX Transportation after the court found it negligent in failing to protect its workers from asbestos dust.
Six former railroad workers from Norfolk & Western Railway Co. sued the company after they developed asbestosis form working with asbestos insulation. The company was found negligent and ordered to pay $4.9 million to the injured workers.
A railroad worker’s widow received a verdict of $235,000 against Chesapeake and Ohio Railway Company in 1984 after her husband died from lung difficulties due to his asbestos exposure on the job that occurred when he removed insulation from pipes and equipment.
Studies Related to Asbestos and Railroad Brake, Signal and Switch Operators
There are several studies that have been completed regarding the link between asbestos exposure and work on railroads. The Department of Medicine of Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Massachusetts released a study entitled “Past exposure to asbestos among active railroad workers” that compared the health risks of railroad workers who worked on different types of trains. They found that 21% of the workers who were 50 years old or older had likely exposure to asbestos, despite their exposure being short in duration.
A study conducted on Belgian railroad workers found that railroad workers were more than three times more likely to die of mesothelioma, compared to other workers. Another study revealed that operating railroad workers like switchmen were more three times more likely to develop lung cancer than non-operating railroad workers.
Types of Asbestos Products Used by Railroad Brake, Signal and Switch Operators
Railroad brake, signal and switch operators could have come into contact with a variety of asbestos-containing materials, including construction materials, brake pads and linings or cement ties.
Manufacturers of Products Used by Railroad Brake, Signal and Switch Operators
Railroad brake, signal and switch operators may have been exposed to asbestos from manufacturers such as:
- Allied Signal Corporation
- Amtrak
- P. Green
- Armstrong Cork
- Asbestos Manufacturing Co.
- Asbestos Textile Co.
- Bendix
- Birmingham Southern Railroad Company
- BNSF Railway Co.
- Carolina & Western Railway Co., Inc.
- CertainTeed Products
- Celotex
- Chesapeake and Ohio Railway Company
- Conrail
- CSX Transportation
- Elgin, Joliet & Eastern Railroad Co.
- Eternit
- Federal-Mogul
- GAF Corporation
- Georgia Pacific
- Gatke Corp.
- Genesee & Wyoming Inc.
- Harbison-Walker
- K. Porter, Inc.
- Illinois Central Industries, Inc.
- Iowa Interstate Railroad, Ltd.
- Johns Manville
- Kansas City Southern Railway Company
- Keasbey & Mattison’s Bell Asbestos Mines
- Metro-North Commuter Railroad Co.
- National Gypsum
- Norfolk Southern
- Owen-Corning Fiberglas Corp.
- Rapid American
- Raybestos-Manhattan
- Seminole Gulf Railway LP
- Watco Transportation Services, Inc.
