Alabama
Alabama is a state that is commonly associated with asbestos exposures. Many of the industries in which asbestos is commonly encountered have deep roots in Alabama. Certainly, most industrial settings contained asbestos, including any which required insulation products. Any industry that used boilers, turbines, electrical insulation, refrigeration, or prevention of heat transfer will have some degree of use for asbestos products. It could be said that asbestos could be found in nearly all facets of Alabama’s industrial complex. Alabama is also a particularly at-risk state because of its coastal location. The coasts of Alabama were the sight of some of the world’s largest shipbuilding operations. Shipyards have long been associated with asbestos exposure.
Manufacturing
Nearly all industrial settings used asbestos prior to its federal ban in the late 1970’s. Asbestos was known to be a “wonder material” of sorts, and its widespread use was indicative of this. Part of what made asbestos so useful was its ability to be included in almost any building compound. It could be included in paint and concrete compounds and have the same effect. For this reason it was commonly included in piping insulation around plumbing fixtures as well as insulated building materials, such as ceiling and floor tiles. Any worker who encountered these materials may be at risk of an asbestos exposure, particularly if they engaged with these materials frequently. Older or damaged asbestos fixtures are more likely to be dangerous because the fibers are loose and could be inhaled
Shipyards
Asbestos was used commonly in ship construction across the country. Alabama had some of the most important pre-war shipbuilding operations in the Gulf and asbestos has been used in these shipyards. Gulf Shipbuilding and Bender Shipbuilding were two important WWII shipbuilding operations that have been linked to harmful asbestos exposures. Asbestos was used in the insulation of boilers and turbines aboard vessels as well as an insulation compound in hull, floor, and ceiling materials. In any material that required a resistance to heat, asbestos could probably be found. Naval vessels, in particular, required a great deal of insulation because they were built for combat operations where fires and explosives were accounted for in their construction.
These are just a few of the industries in which asbestos could be found. As stated above, asbestos could be used for nearly anything prior to its ban. Asbestos was banned in the late 1970’s because a clear connection arose between those who were knowingly exposed and the development of severe respiratory complications, including the cancer mesothelioma. Since 1979, 741 Alabama residents have died of mesothelioma or other asbestos-related health complication. Many of these people were exposed in the sites listed above, as well as countless other possible exposure points. Those who believe they may have been exposed to asbestos should monitor their health closely and consult a physician if adverse symptoms arise. There are resources available for those who were wrongly exposed, including financial compensation for the patient and their family.
Last modified: April 24 2008.
