Petrochemical Refinery Workers and Asbestos Lung Cancer

Petrochemical refinery workers may have been exposed to asbestos daily because the machinery and products they worked around likely contained asbestos. Those exposed now face a high risk of lung cancer and other health issues. Get help for petrochemical refinery workers and asbestos lung cancer.

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Oil Refinery Workers and Asbestos Lung Cancer Explained

From the 1930s to the 1980s, petrochemical or oil refineries used many asbestos-containing products to run equipment. Asbestos enabled machinery to withstand high temperature changes during the refining of crude oil, plastics, and other materials.

Petrochemical Refinery Workers and Asbestos Quick Facts

  • Equipment: Asbestos was used in boilers, pumps, distillation units, furnaces, and cooling towers.
  • Products: Asbestos-containing materials included insulation, cement, gaskets, packing, and protective gear like gloves, suits, and masks.
  • Jobs: Pipefitters, insulators, boilermakers, electricians, and welders were at high risk of exposure.
  • Health hazards: Workers could go on to develop asbestos-related diseases like lung cancer, mesothelioma, and asbestosis 10-50 years after initial exposure.
  • Secondhand exposure: Family members may have been sickened by asbestos fibers that workers brought home on their clothes, hair, or skin.
  • Compensation options: Those affected may be eligible for compensation to help cover medical bills, lost income, and more. Some asbestos lung cancer payouts have been worth $1 million or more.

Get our Free Lung Cancer Guide if you or a loved one worked in the petrochemical industry and now has lung cancer. You’ll find information on treatments, financial compensation, and more.

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Petrochemical Refinery Industry and Asbestos Exposure Risks

Many petrochemical refinery workers risked asbestos exposure while performing their job duties because asbestos products were so widely used in the industry.

Asbestos was used in oil refineries to:

  • Insulate equipment like boilers, pumps, and heat exchangers
  • Line protective clothing, including heat-resistant gloves, hoods, and aprons
  • Prevent fires through the use of asbestos cement, tiles, roofing, and coatings
  • Seal high-pressure valves, gaskets, and pumps
Did You Know?

Roughly 90% of petrochemical refinery industry workers were exposed to asbestos. Most of these workers were exposed without any protective equipment or precaution.

When workers cut, maintained, repaired, or replaced this equipment, tiny asbestos fibers could have been released into the air. These fibers are microscopic, meaning workers may have swallowed or breathed them in without even knowing.

Once inside the body, the fibers can’t be broken down. Instead, they cause damage and inflammation, potentially leading to dangerous health issues like lung cancer decades later.

Petrochemical Refinery Workers and Asbestos Risks Today

While asbestos is not used in the petrochemical industry today, old equipment and refinery sites may still contain the cancer-causing mineral.

Modern-day petrochemical refinery workers and asbestos risks include:

  • Construction workers and contractors who unknowingly encounter asbestos in older facilities
  • Demolition and renovation teams that release asbestos fibers from aging refinery infrastructure
  • Maintenance crews who disturb old asbestos-containing materials during equipment repairs

For example, the Texaco Oil Company Refinery, which operated from 1908 to 1985, is now considered a hazardous superfund site by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The nearly 1,000-acre site is still undergoing cleanup.

Redevelopment of another refinery job site in Philadelphia may take over 4 years to completely remove asbestos from the site, showing the widespread use of the material in the industry.

We’re here to help oil refinery workers and their families facing lung cancer and other asbestos-related diseases. Call (877) 446-5767 now to take the first step toward justice for petrochemical refinery workers and asbestos exposure.

Petrochemical Refinery Workers and Asbestos-Related Illnesses

Asbestos is a dangerous, cancer-causing mineral. It has been linked to several serious diseases, and even one exposure decades ago can increase someone’s risk of getting sick.

Asbestos-related diseases include:

One of the challenges related to petrochemical refinery workers and asbestos-related diseases is that it can take 10-50 years before symptoms appear. As a result, workers may not be able to remember how or when they were exposed.

If you have a history of working in oil refineries, it’s important to tell your doctor about your occupational asbestos exposure. This can help ensure you get the diagnostic testing needed to catch lung cancer early and get the treatment you need.

Compensation Options for Asbestos and Oil Refinery Workers

If your lung cancer is linked to asbestos and oil refinery work, you may be entitled to lung cancer compensation. Money secured can help cover medical bills, lost wages, long-term care expenses, and more.

Compensation options for petrochemical refinery workers and asbestos exposure include:

  • Asbestos trust funds: By filing claims, you can pursue compensation without filing a lawsuit. There’s over $30 billion available in asbestos trusts today.
  • Personal injury lawsuits: You may be able to file a lung cancer lawsuit if you worked in the petrochemical refinery industry and developed lung cancer decades later. These lawsuits hold manufacturers of asbestos-containing products accountable.
  • VA benefits: If you’re a U.S. veteran with lung cancer or mesothelioma linked to your service, you may be eligible to receive over $4,000 per month and free or inexpensive health care from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).
  • Wrongful death lawsuits: When a loved one dies from an asbestos-related disease, families may be able to file a wrongful death lawsuit to hold the negligent companies financially responsible. These lawsuits often award over $1 million for illnesses like mesothelioma.

Lung Cancer Group has partnered with experienced lung cancer attorneys who can fight for the maximum compensation possible in your petrochemical refinery industry and asbestos exposure case. They handle all the legal work, making the legal process as easy as possible.

Get a free case review now to see if our oil refinery workers and asbestos exposure lawyers can fight for you.

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Get Help for Petrochemical Refinery Workers With Asbestos Lung Cancer

If you or a loved one developed lung cancer or mesothelioma after a career in the petrochemical industry, you don’t have to navigate the next steps alone. Lung Cancer Group is here for you and your family.

Our team may be able to help you explore treatment and compensation options. While nothing can undo a serious diagnosis, compensation from a legal claim can help make the road ahead easier.

Get our Free Lung Cancer Guide or call (877) 446-5767 right now. Our patient advocates are standing by to provide the support you deserve.

Petrochemical Refinery Workers and Asbestos Lung Cancer FAQs

Are petrochemical refinery workers exposed to asbestos?

Yes, petrochemical refinery workers may have been exposed to asbestos daily if they worked in the industry before the 1980s.

Asbestos was used throughout refineries, including in boilers and furnaces. Even workers in the industry today could be at risk if older equipment made with asbestos is still in use.

Yes, working at a refinery can significantly increase your risk of cancer, especially lung cancer and mesothelioma. Both are caused by exposure to asbestos, which remains in the body for decades before symptoms start to appear.

If you or a loved one has been harmed, Lung Cancer Group may be able to help. Get started with a free case review.

By the time asbestos lung cancer symptoms appear, the cancer is often advanced. Thankfully, lung cancer treatment is improving every year, and some workers diagnosed with asbestos lung cancer have survived for decades after their diagnosis — even with advanced cancer.

A lung cancer specialist can give you a better idea about your specific prognosis (health outlook) and which treatments may be able to help you.

Yes, you may qualify for compensation from personal injury lawsuits, asbestos trust fund claims, or VA benefits. Some workers, with the help of experienced asbestos law firms, have recovered over $1 million.

Call (877) 446-5767 to see if you might be eligible for asbestos lung cancer compensation.

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Lung Cancer Group was established by a team of caring advocates so those with lung cancer and other asbestos-related diseases can get the help they deserve. Our site provides the most accurate and up-to-date information about lung cancer, its link to asbestos, and financial compensation available to patients. Contact us to learn more and get assistance.

  1. Environmental Protection Agency. (n.d.) INDIAN REFINERY-TEXACO LAWRENCEVILLE, IL. Retrieved from https://cumulis.epa.gov/supercpad/SiteProfiles/index.cfm?fuseaction=second.cleanup&id=0500315.
  2. Gennaro, V., et al. (n.d.). Mesothelioma and lung tumors attributable to asbestos among petroleum workers. Retrieved from https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10642417/.
  3. Montanaro, F., et al (n.d.). Asbestos exposure and cancer mortality among petroleum industry workers and nearby residents: A cohort study of an Italian oil refinery. Retrieved from https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16189991/.
  4. Mehlman, M. A. (n.d.). Dangerous and cancer-causing properties of products and chemicals in the oil-refining and petrochemical industry: Part V – Asbestos-caused cancers and exposure of workers in the oil-refining industry. Retrieved from https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/1853354/.
  5. Onyije, F. M., Hosseini, B., Togawa, K., Schüz, J., & Olsson, A. (2021). Cancer incidence and mortality among petroleum industry workers and residents living in oil-producing communities: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Retrieved from https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/8/4343.
  6. Reuters. (n.d.). 150 years of spills: Philadelphia Refinery cleanup highlights toxic legacy of Fossil Fuels. Retrieved from https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-energy-refinery-cleanup-insight-idUKKBN2AG12O.
  7. Villeneuve, P. J., et al. (n.d.). Occupational exposure to asbestos and lung cancer in men: A population-based case–control study in Canada. Retrieved from https://bmccancer.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1471-2407-12-595.
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