The exposure to the fibers in the air was a danger for all the workers because the fabric-weaving machinery, the drying machines, and the boilers had parts that were insulated with asbestos. This meant that every time maintenance work was done around them, dangerous amounts of asbestos dust would have been spread through these factories.
The prolonged inhalation of asbestos particles by the workers of these textile mills would result in the development of diseases like mesothelioma, lung cancer, and asbestosis. The families of these workers were not safe, as the fibers of asbestos would have been brought home on the clothes and hair of the workers.
Relevant job titles
- cloth tester
- dye-range operator
- loom operator
- textile production worker
- weaver
- cart handler
- material handler
- textile fabric expert
- textile inspector
- textile sorter
- warehouse worker
- doffer
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 textile mill workers to asbestos
Birmingham, Alabama - Alabama
- Bouckaert Industrial Textiles
Burlington, North Carolina - North Carolina
- Burlington Industries
- American Enka Company
- Ostrow Textile Company
- Cannon Mills Company
- Coats & Clark, Inc.
Camden, South Carolina - South Carolina
- DeRoyal Textiles
- JPS Textile Group, Inc.
Sanford, Maine - Maine
- Sanford Textile Mill
Woonsocket, Rhode Island - Rhode Island
- Bouckaert Industrial Textiles
Labor union members are also eligible
Asbestos products handled by textile mill workers
The resistance of asbestos to extreme temperatures made it a suitable material for the manufacturing of textile products as well. Fibers would be incorporated into oven mitts, welding blankets, fire curtains, and potholders. Textile mill workers were preponderantly exposed to asbestos by directly handling it, although the toxic mineral was also present in numerous machinery components. This was a very high-risk occupation, as workers would inhale terrible amounts of asbestos dust on a regular basis.