Overview
Electricians faced asbestos exposure through multiple pathways: asbestos-containing electrical products they installed, and proximity to asbestos materials in the buildings, ships, and industrial facilities where they worked. While exposure levels were often lower than for insulators, electricians still face elevated mesothelioma risk.
Asbestos in Electrical Products
| Product | Asbestos Purpose | Exposure Level |
|---|---|---|
| Electrical panels | Arc shields, insulation | High |
| Wire insulation | Heat resistance | Moderate |
| Electrical tape | Wire wrapping | Moderate |
| Fuse boxes | Fire protection | Moderate |
| Circuit breakers | Arc suppression | Moderate |
| Wiring ducts | Fireproofing | Low-Moderate |
How Electricians Were Exposed
Building Work
Electricians routinely worked in close proximity to asbestos materials:
- Drilling through asbestos drywall and fireproofing
- Fishing wires through spaces packed with asbestos insulation
- Working above asbestos-containing ceiling tiles
- Installing panels in boiler rooms and mechanical spaces
Industrial and Shipyard Work
Electricians in shipyards, power plants, and refineries faced higher exposure from pervasive asbestos insulation in these facilities.
Electricians often worked alongside other trades. When insulators or pipefitters disturbed asbestos materials nearby, electricians inhaled the released fibers.
Work Environments with High Exposure
Electricians hit the heaviest exposures inside power plants wrapped in Johns Manville and Owens Corning insulation, shipyards running cable through asbestos-lagged compartments, oil refineries wiring process areas along the Texas and Louisiana Gulf Coast, commercial buildings servicing HVAC and mechanical rooms, and industrial factories and plants across Pennsylvania and Ohio between 1940 and 1980.
Related Occupations
Electricians often worked alongside:
- Maintenance workers, Building systems
- Pipefitters, Mechanical systems
- Sheet metal workers, HVAC systems
- Carpenters, Building construction
- Plumbers, Building systems
Health Risks
Electricians with asbestos exposure history face elevated risk of mesothelioma, a cancer of the chest or abdominal lining; asbestosis, a scarring of the lungs that causes breathing difficulty; lung cancer, with risk multiplied among smokers; and pleural plaques on the lining around the lungs.
Mesothelioma typically develops 20 to 50 years after exposure. Electricians who worked before the 1980s should inform their doctors of potential asbestos exposure.
Legal Options
Electricians diagnosed with mesothelioma typically pursue compensation on several tracks in parallel. Manufacturers of electrical products containing asbestos, including Johns Manville and General Electric, established asbestos trust funds through bankruptcy reorganization. Trust claims often run alongside product-liability suits against solvent manufacturers, premises-liability claims against building and facility owners, VA benefits for military service exposure, and workers’ compensation through a former employer. A trial lawyer can help identify compensation sources based on specific work history and product exposure.