Asbestos exposure occurred to a great extent in printing presses during the last century, as numerous components were manufactured with this toxic mineral. From 1900 to 1980, thousands of printing press workers who used the Linotype machine were heavily exposed to asbestos, which now places them at great risk of developing a disease as a consequence of exposure. The Linotype contained asbestos to prevent the components of the machine from overheating. However, it is important to know that diseases which develop as a result of asbestos exposure take between 20 and 50 years to occur, as they have a long latency period. Thereby, individuals who held down a job in a printing press before 1980 may develop a terrible disease such as asbestosis, lung cancer or mesothelioma. In addition to the asbestos used in the Linotype, the facilities had numerous asbestos building materials, such as wall insulation, ceiling and floor tiles, cement and other similar construction products.
Relevant job titles
- linotype operators
- typographers
- machinery maintenance workers
- machinery repair workers
- press operator
Asbestos-related cancer eligible for filing a claim
If you developed one of the following cancers as a result of occupational exposure, you are eligible for compensation. If you are too ill, a family member can help you with the legal process. In the unfortunate event that you pass away before recovering compensation, your surviving family members will receive compensation on your behalf.
If, however, you struggle with non-cancerous pleural diseases such as asbestosis, pulmonary fibrosis, pleural plaques, pleural effusion, diffuse pleural thickening, COPD (emphysema & chronic bronchitis), pleurisy, lung nodules, lung spots, asthma, pneumonitis, tuberculosis, rounded atelectasis or lung scarring, please seek a second or even a third opinion as the rate of misdiagnosis is very high among the victims of asbestos exposure.
Companies that exposed printing press workers to asbestos
Asbestos products handled by printing press workers
Former printing press workers are at high risk of developing a disease as a consequence of asbestos exposure, as they would handle raw asbestos on the job, which increases their chances of becoming ill to a great extent. In addition to the raw asbestos they would use, the facilities they would perform their tasks in were insulated with asbestos and were built with asbestos construction materials. The following are only some of the asbestos products printing press workers may have been exposed to on the job.