At that time, the gear of the welder posed certain health risks. The protective wear, in some cases, contained asbestos to make them heat resistant.
Both the welders and their families were at risk of developing an asbestos-related disease. The welders were in direct contact with the asbestos materials and their families suffered from second-hand exposure because of the dust brought home on the workers’ clothes and tools.
In the military, welders had to perform similar duties to civilians who had this job under the rating of certified welder. Most of their responsibilities concerned fabricating and assembling metal structures and equipment by using welders, cutters, shapers and measuring tools. They were exposed to asbestos to a great extent since toxic fibers would often come off welding rods in the forms of smoke and dust. Asbestos exposure also occurred when welders would smooth out seams. Finally, welders had to handle boilers, piping, and insulation while serving in the military, all of which were manufactured with asbestos.
Relevant job titles
- welder helper
- pipe welder
- electric welder
- assembly welder
- shop welder
- structural welder
- tube welder
- welder apprentice
- welder foreman
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 welders to asbestos
- Tyler Pipe Foundry
- Southern Company Services
- Sunbeam Products/Sunbeam Corporation Limited
- Taylor Forge & Pipe Works
- Danly Machine Corporation
- Northrop Grumman
- Tennessee Valley Authority
- Continental Steel Corporation
- American Can Company
- Wheelabrator Frye Inc.
- Rust International Inc.
- J.P. Stevens & Company
- Potlatch Paper Mill
- Weirton Steel
Labor union members are also eligible
Asbestos products handled by welders
In the case of welders, asbestos exposure at the workplace ensued from using asbestos-coated welding rods and from wearing protective clothing made with toxic fibers to guard themselves against high temperatures. The dust released during the welding process contained considerable amounts of asbestos, among other dangerous agents. Afterward, excess material would have been ground down, another process that would have generated asbestos dust.