Engineers exposed to asbestos are at moderate risk for cancer

How were industrial engineers exposed to asbestos?

The job of industrial engineers focuses on improving business practices by streamlining processes and operations, designing methods of reducing costs, and increasing the safety of the work environment. Although their work is mostly carried out from behind a desk, it is crucial for industrial engineers to observe first-hand how the company is running its business in order to come up with the most efficient improvement strategies. Thus, industrial engineers who worked in oil refineries and steel mills before the 1980s had to regularly conduct a thorough evaluation of the equipment, which often contained asbestos, as well as spend considerable time among employees who handle asbestos directly to carefully analyze the work process.

How were stationary engineers exposed to asbestos?

The risk of asbestos exposure was particularly high for stationary engineers, as their job involved the maintenance and repairing of boilers insulated with large amounts of asbestos. They commonly worked in petroleum refineries, power facilities, and industrial factories, all of which were notorious for their large-scale use of asbestos. Because industrial equipment has a tendency to overheat, the risk of fire was enormous, and thereby, reliable insulation was mandatory. Boilers were wrapped in asbestos insulation and in order to access the vessel, stationary engineers had to remove it, which would release asbestos fibers into the air. As protective equipment was not required, engineers would unavoidably inhale asbestos fibers.

How were operating engineers exposed to asbestos?

Operating engineers may have been exposed to asbestos in multiple ways. The machinery they used was often built with numerous asbestos-containing components, such as gaskets and brake pads. By demolishing buildings with asbestos in their structure, exposure was possible as well, since millions of old houses in the U.S. were built with asbestos-containing products. For road grader operators, roadbeds might have been another source of exposure, as asbestos was incorporated in many to increase their durability. Finally, by spending the majority of their time on construction sites, operating engineers were also exposed to significant levels of asbestos dust released following various building operations.

How were electrical engineers exposed to asbestos?

Electrical equipment is necessary for a wide range of settings, including residential buildings, communication systems, household appliances, and aircraft. However, before the 1980s, nearly all electrical wiring had one element in common: asbestos. Therefore, it is perhaps not surprising that electrical engineers have also been exposed to this harmful mineral on the job.

How were sales engineers exposed to asbestos?

Because they were often in contact with asbestos-containing products, sales engineers have a moderate risk of developing a serious disease as well. Although they were not required to disturb asbestos insulation like stationary engineers, sales engineers were exposed to products such as boilers and other similar equipment on a regular basis.

How were aeronautical engineers exposed to asbestos?

For aeronautical engineers, the severity of asbestos exposure depended on the field they worked in - while the design and research branches were not high-risk, the maintenance and manufacture of aircraft implied an increased risk of exposure. There were multiple aircraft components that contained or were manufactured with asbestos during the last century, including clutch pads, fuel tanks, brake shoes, and engines. Thereby, exposure was quite likely to happen while those components were disturbed.

How were mechanical engineers exposed to asbestos?

Mechanical engineers were present in most industries that used asbestos, such as the chemical, aerospace, and automotive industries. Due to the astounding number of asbestos applications, the sources of exposure for mechanical engineers were various, from electrical equipment to automotive components. By interacting directly with the mineral, the chances of inhaling or ingesting airborne fibers were considerable.

How were civil engineers exposed to asbestos?

Civil engineers are responsible for the development and maintenance of public infrastructures. Depending on their specialty, a civil engineer's job can focus on construction, water resources, transportation, or the environment. Even though asbestos exposure was possible for each of these branches, engineers who worked in construction had a significantly higher risk in this respect, as asbestos could be found on virtually every construction site in the U.S. before it was better regulated.

How were marine engineers exposed to asbestos?

In addition to being exposed to a lot of toxic agents such as exhaust gases, chemicals, organic solvents, and petroleum products, marine engineers were also in direct contact with asbestos on the job. Insulation, pipes, rotary vane vacuum pumps, boilers, watertight joints, and rotary vane air compressors are only some of the hazardous products they were exposed to on ships. Accordingly, many former marine engineers are now suffering from lung cancer and mesothelioma.