Ironworkers/Metalsmiths

Exposed to Asbestos at their workplace

Ironworkers/metalsmiths had direct exposure to asbestos products. Every day they would work with asbestos made slate boards as well as asbestos-containing insulation products. Whenever the insulated products had to be cut to meet size specifications, asbestos dust would form and become airborne. The ironworkers were in danger of inhaling its dangerous fibers easily.

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Metal beams were usually coated with asbestos-laden insulation in order to prevent the structure from igniting too easily in case of fire. If these beams needed inspection or maintenance, the insulation would get removed because of this process and then be reapplied. This also resulted in poisonous asbestos particles to be released into the environment, in which ironworkers breathed.

Second-hand exposure could have taken place when the ironworker would bring home asbestos dust on clothes, shoes, and hair.

The people working in foundries that have been exposed to asbestos for long periods of time, may have developed serious and fatal diseases like mesothelioma, other forms of cancer or lung-related illnesses.

Ironworkers also served in the military, under ratings such as aviation chief metalsmith. Since they would directly handle asbestos products, aviation chief metalsmiths have a moderate to high risk of developing awful diseases today. They were responsible for crafting metal items for the military, a process which would often require extreme heat, so aviation chief metalsmiths had to protect themselves from the fire by wearing asbestos equipment such as aprons and gloves. Over time, their protective gear would deteriorate, which only released more asbestos fibers in the air while they were moving.

Relevant Job Titles

crane operator
flame cutter
smelter
assembler
rigger
rodbuster
saw operator
aviation chief metalsmith

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We also represent the close relatives of ironworkers/metalsmiths that handled asbestos and are now sick or have passed away.

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Diseases Contracted after Asbestos Exposure in Ironworkers/Metalsmiths

On the job, ironworkers/metalsmiths were exposed to asbestos both by handling asbestos materials and by performing their duties surrounded by asbestos fibers released in the air through the activities of their co-workers. Therefore, their asbestos exposure was twofold. Nowadays, former ironworkers are at high risk of receiving a terrible diagnosis, since the asbestos fibers they inhaled or ingested on the job persist in the body and cause severe inflammation and tissue scarring to the organ they reached through the bloodstream.

Lung Cancer

Mesothelioma

Asthma

Asbestosis

Pulmonary Fibrosis

Esophageal Cancer

Tuberculosis

Emphysema

How Can We Help Ironworkers/Metalsmiths Who Were Exposed to Asbestos?

The symptoms for these asbestos-related illnesses usually show up after a long period of latency when it is already too late for an effective treatment. Get in contact with us to get tested for the presence of asbestos fibers in your lungs.

In case you are diagnosed with one of the diseases mentioned above, let us do the work required in getting you compensated. We will submit the legal documents for filing claims with the asbestos trust funds of the companies that knowingly exposed you to this dangerous mineral. If your job was in the military, our attorneys will also file a claim with the VA.

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