Pleural

 

Occupations associated with mesothelioma

Asbestos miners

Asbestos cement workers  - (Emilia Romagna region of Italy).

Insulation workers - a high incidence of mesothelioma occured where asbestos was sprayed onto pipes and boilers; less so when applied in a paste form; the p[owdered form removed during re-lining of pipes was particularly damaging to the respiratory tract.

·       Shipyard workers - pipes and boilers heavily insulated with asbestos

·       Merchant navy personnel, particularly boiler room workers

·       Powerstation workers - pipes and boilers heavily insulated with asbestos

·       Railway workers - carriages were frequently lined by asbestos leading to exposure of construction, maintenance and demolition workers.

·       Sugar refineries

·       Wood and pulp industry (Sweden)

Production and usage of asbestos textiles - asbestos was used to make hard wearing and heat resistance fabrics.

Farmers - many farm buildings were made of asbestos sheeting. Farmers who frequently built their own out-buildings were exposed to powdered fibres on cutting thebsheets.

Spouses and families of asbestos workers - fibres often found their way into households on the clothing of families. Wives who washed their husbands contaminated work clothes. Children living in the environs of asbestos industries or using asbestos dumps as play grounds are also at risk. (Mesothelioma has an increased incidence in residents of Wittenoom , Western Australia, who did not work for the Australian Blue Asbestos company).

Builders and building maintenance personnel - since the banning of asbestos in indistry it is now the removal of asbestos which provides a greater risk that its installation. The environmental asbestos fibre count remains very low till removal is attempted for at least five years after removal of asbestos shheeting or insulkation the atmospheric fibre count remains elevated.

Friction-products industry - while mesothelioma has been reported in automobile brake lining workers the incidence is very low.