Electricians Exposed to Asbestos
Bergman Oslund Udo Little’s asbestos exposure lawyers represent Oregon and Washington electricians in asbestos litigation. Since 1998, we’ve helped hundreds of mesothelioma victims recover over $1 billion in compensation. Electrician asbestos exposure is quite common because many materials used in electrical wiring, cable boxes, and construction sites contain asbestos. Over the long term, electricians may develop asbestos-related illnesses, including mesothelioma, lung cancer, and asbestosis.
Chandler H. Udo, Partner, Bergman Oslund Udo Little Last Updated: August 9, 2024
Many people may think of electricians working on the wiring in their home, ensuring that their appliances have power and that the wiring is safe. However, electrical workers also work in various industrial settings. For example, electrical workers at Columbia River or Puget Sound shipyards install, repair, and replace shipboard electrical systems to ensure these vessels function correctly. They may manage the wiring in production facilities that allow those factories to operate. Thus, electricians and electrical workers are critical to nearly every aspect of our lives.
Electricians and other electrical workers in our area are often part of a labor union like the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers. Local chapters of this union include IBEW Local 46, IBEW Local 483, and IBEW Local 191.
Asbestos Exposure in the Electrical Industry
Electricians are responsible for keeping the lights on and power systems functioning in homes, businesses, manufacturing centers, shipyards, warehouses, and many other locations. Any site that uses electrical power for heating, cooling, lights, machinery, equipment, and appliances requires assistance from an electrician, who installs and maintains the wiring to keep things running.
However, many of the products used in electrical wires contain asbestos. Wiring in the walls of old buildings and homes may be surrounded by asbestos insulation. Materials used to build and maintain commercial, Navy, and Coast Guard ships may also have asbestos. Electrical components, especially in high-voltage applications, often contained asbestos as an ingredient in phenolics and other resins. Thus, electricians rank among the occupations with the highest risk of asbestos exposure. No electrician is 100 percent safe from asbestos since the material was so prevalent until the 1980s. However, even today, some products and materials still contain asbestos, and electricians working on older buildings and equipment may come into contact with asbestos at their job site.
Asbestos is a naturally occurring substance, but it is toxic to individuals who inhale it. Since asbestos fibers are nearly invisible and don’t have a taste or smell, electricians may not realize they’re breathing it. They may also carry asbestos fibers on their clothing, potentially exposing family members and friends to the substance.
Common Electric Products Containing Asbestos
There are numerous asbestos-containing products that electricians use or work around, including the following:
- Flash guards and electrical paper: Some fuse boxes contain asbestos flash guards. If disturbed when replacing a fuse or performing other maintenance, they may release asbestos fibers into the air.
- Arc chutes: Before the mid-1980s, many arc chutes found in circuit breakers and breaker boxes contained asbestos. Cutting, drilling, or grinding these materials allows the asbestos fibers to become airborne.
- Insulating boards: Some boiler rooms may contain asbestos insulating boards to protect against fire risk. Electricians working in boiler rooms or similar areas may unknowingly inhale asbestos fibers.
- Pipe insulation: While electricians aren’t responsible for maintaining pipes, they may encounter them when repairing, installing, or maintaining electrical wires inside building walls. Some pipes use asbestos insulation, and disturbing it can release asbestos dust.
- Electrical wire conduits: Many electrical wires and conduits installed in buildings and homes built before the 1990s may contain asbestos. Cutting or beveling asbestos conduit can disperse asbestos in the work area.
- Sealings and coatings: Paints, sealants, and other coatings used in homes and buildings may contain asbestos, especially in areas where fire or heat is a concern, such as fireplaces and boilers.
- Vermiculite home insulation: Vermiculite home insulation was sourced from a mine in Libby, Montana, and processed in over 245 sites across the United States, including Washington and Oregon. Many home attics still have vermiculite insulation, which contains amphibole asbestos. Electricians may breathe in the asbestos fibers from the insulation when installing or maintaining wiring.
An electrician’s work often occurs at construction sites, which may have asbestos materials. Some examples of building materials that may contain asbestos include the following:
- Transite
- Cement pipes
- Pipe coverings
- Wall insulation
- Fireproofing materials
- Millboard
Companies That Produced Asbestos-Containing Materials
Some of the companies that manufactured and distributed asbestos-containing products commonly used by electricians and other trades workers include the following:
- American Standard
- Cutler Hammer
- Eaton
- Anaconda Copper Corporation
- Babcock and Wilcox
- Combustion Engineering Corporation
- General Electric Corporation
- Sherwin Williams Paint Company
- Unarco Industries
- Union Carbide
- Westinghouse Electric Corporation
This list is only a small sample of organizations that made electrical products, sealants, boilers, insulation, and other products containing asbestos. Hundreds of other manufacturers distributed asbestos-containing items throughout Washington and Oregon.
Lawsuits and Settlements Involving Electricians and Mesothelioma
For more than 30 years, the attorneys at Bergman Oslund Udo Little have fought for justice on behalf of mesothelioma victims, many of whom work in high-risk occupations as electricians. Our Washington and Oregon asbestos attorneys have a substantial track record of success, obtaining over $1 billion in recoveries for our clients. Some of our most significant settlements and verdicts include the following:
- $8.3 million for a man diagnosed with mesothelioma at age 79: Our client was exposed to asbestos as an electrician in the United States Navy and at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in Bremerton, Washington.
- $4.6 million for a man diagnosed with mesothelioma at age 63: Our client was exposed to asbestos while working as an electrician at the St. Regis Paper Mill in Tacoma and the Lockheed Shipyard in Seattle.
- $4.25 million verdict: We won a jury verdict for an 81-year-old electrician and his wife against an asbestos product distributor.
- $3.3 million for a man diagnosed with mesothelioma at age 67: Our client worked as an electrician onboard numerous ships at Todd Shipyard in Seattle.
Our compassionate representation has won praise from those we have represented. Read what our clients have said about their experience with us.
Mesothelioma Attorneys for Electricians & Their Families
If you or a loved one has an illness caused by asbestos exposure, it’s crucial to seek an attorney’s advice. Our Oregon mesothelioma lawyers and Washington mesothelioma lawyers can evaluate your case and help you seek compensation for health care, reduced quality of life, and pain and suffering. There are many avenues to recovering the damages you deserve, and we’ll identify them and fight to hold the appropriate parties accountable for your disease.
Contact Bergman Oslund Udo Little today for a free mesothelioma case review.
520 Pike St. #1125
Seattle, WA 98101
206-957-9510
1355 NW Everett St.
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Portland, OR 97204
503-447-6230
