Lung Cancer in Asbestos Manufacturers

For decades, workers in manufacturing plants helped to make asbestos-containing materials like insulation, brakes, gaskets, and much more. These workers didn’t know that breathing in or swallowing asbestos fibers could lead to lung cancer or other serious health issues later in life. Learn about the risks of lung cancer that asbestos manufacturers face and how we may be able to help them.

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Written and Fact-Checked by: Lung Cancer Group

Last updated: January 23, 2026

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About Asbestos Product Manufacturing & Lung Cancer

Those who worked as asbestos manufacturers likely faced daily exposure to this harmful material, putting them in danger of developing lung cancer, mesothelioma, and other related illnesses.

Asbestos manufacturing involved grinding, cutting, and manipulating raw asbestos for use in many different products. All of these activities could send asbestos fibers flying into the air, and workers who breathed in or swallowed them could get sick with cancer decades later.

Workers didn’t understand the grave danger they were being put in. Companies that manufactured asbestos-containing products hid the health risks to human health — making billions of dollars in the process.

Quick Facts About Asbestos Workers & Lung Cancer

There are no safe levels of asbestos exposure according to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). Workers exposed even once in manufacturing plants could get sick with lung cancer decades later.
Thousands of manufactured goods, including roofing materials, insulation, automobile parts, and more, were made with asbestos for heat resistance and durability, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
Asbestos manufacturers may not have had personal protective equipment (PPE) available to keep them safe from breathing in the toxic fibers.
Asbestos manufacturers could develop lung cancer 10-50 years after they were first exposed. The risk is higher among those who smoked.

Lung Cancer Group is here to help former asbestos manufacturers who are facing lung cancer. Get our Free Lung Cancer Guide to find out how we can assist you or someone you love.

How Were Manufacturers Exposed to Asbestos?

Between 3,000 and 5,000 manufactured products contained asbestos, according to Lung Cancer. Asbestos manufacturers who helped make these products often risked daily exposure to this harmful material.

Just a few products that exposed manufacturers to asbestos included:

Boilers
Brake pads
Cement
Coatings
Cosmetic goods (makeup)
Engine linings
Fabrics
Floor tiles
Gaskets
Heat shields
Insulation
Packaging
Paint
Shingles
Talcum powder
Textiles
Wiring

Asbestos workers were often exposed daily while producing, cutting, sanding, or packaging these components, often without proper ventilation or respirators.

Which Types of Asbestos Were Harmful to Manufacturers?

There are no safe forms of asbestos, according to OSHA. There are six different types of asbestos fibers that belong to two “families”: serpentine and amphibole.

There is only one type of asbestos in the serpentine family, which is known as chrysotile asbestos. This type accounts for up to 95% of all asbestos used in manufacturing worldwide, according to Lung Cancer. As a result, it is likely that manufacturers were exposed to this type on a regular basis in products like brake pads, cement, and much more.

The other five types belong to the amphibole family and include amosite, anthophyllite, actinolite, crocidolite, and tremolite asbestos. While not as commonly used as chrysotile, amphibole asbestos could have been used in materials like paint and insulation, according to Penn Medicine.

Asbestos Manufacturer Roles With a High Risk of Lung Cancer

Not all manufacturing roles carried the same level of exposure. Some jobs placed asbestos manufacturers in danger of breathing in fibers on an everyday basis.

High-risk roles for asbestos manufacturers included:

Boilermakers assembling or repairing asbestos-containing boilers
Insulation manufacturers producing materials for shipbuilding and construction
Machine operators grinding or cutting asbestos sheets
Miners on asbestos sites
Quality inspectors exposed to airborne fibers in testing areas
Textile mill workers weaving asbestos cloth or rope

The risk of developing lung cancer was arguably highest for those who worked directly with raw asbestos. Asbestos is a mineral extracted from rock deposits, so any activities involved in refining it for use in various products could release dust that could cause lung cancer later in life.

Call (877) 446-5767 now to get help if you or someone you love is facing lung cancer and worked in asbestos manufacturing decades ago.

Secondhand Exposure in Families of Asbestos Manufacturers

Asbestos manufacturers could have unwittingly put their loved ones in danger of getting sick through what is known as secondhand exposure.

Asbestos manufacturing facilities were often clouded with asbestos dust, meaning workers could leave their jobs covered with toxic fibers. Their spouses and children could have been exposed to the asbestos carried home with them on hair, skin, and clothing.

As a result, family members of former asbestos manufacturers have gone on to develop lung cancer and mesothelioma even though they never directly worked with the asbestos components themselves.

“But when mom and dad lived down the street from an asbestos shingle plant, my father worked there for a year. He would unload boxcars of raw asbestos and would bring it home on his clothing. We think it was secondary exposure that caused her cancer.”

— Cheryl Jones, daughter of mesothelioma victim

Asbestos-Related Diseases Among Manufacturers

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) notes that exposure to asbestos can cause several types of cancers and other significant health problems.

Manufacturers could develop asbestos-related illnesses like:

Asbestosis: This isn’t cancer, but instead it’s a serious lung disease in which the lung tissue becomes scarred. Manufacturers who develop it could have significant trouble breathing, and there’s no cure.
Lung cancer: Asbestos workers could develop lung cancer if they breathe in fibers, which could get trapped in their lungs and cause long-term irritation. The risk is even higher among workers who smoke, because the asbestos fibers allow the smoke to cause more harm.
Mesothelioma: This is a very rare but aggressive cancer that affects the linings of the lungs and major organs. It’s only caused by asbestos exposure.
Other lung diseases: Former asbestos manufacturers could go on to develop COPD, pleural plaques, pleural effusions (fluid buildup in the lung lining), and other illnesses after exposure.

It typically takes 10-50 years or potentially even longer for first symptoms of asbestos-related diseases to appear after exposure. As a result, many former asbestos manufacturing workers are just getting sick now, long after being exposed.

There are steps former asbestos manufacturers can take to stay on top of their health. One of the best options is to get annual lung cancer screenings, which can catch cancer before it causes symptoms. This is crucial because many asbestos lung cancer patients don’t develop symptoms until the tumors have started to spread, making it harder to treat.

Compensation for Asbestos Product Workers with Lung Cancer

Former asbestos manufacturers who are now facing lung cancer or other asbestos-related health problems may be eligible for significant compensation from different sources.

Lung cancer compensation options include:

Lung cancer lawsuits: These legal claims allow asbestos manufacturers to recover money for lung cancer treatments, lost wages, pain and suffering, and other expenses. Every case is different, but some lung cancer patients have received over $1 million with help from our legal partners.
Wrongful death lawsuits: If a former asbestos manufacturing worker died of lung cancer or another asbestos-related disease, their families may be able to pursue a payout through a wrongful death claim.
Asbestos trust fund claims: These trusts were set up by bankrupt asbestos manufacturing companies to pay victims while avoiding lawsuits. There is over $30 billion across all trusts today, and it’s possible to file lung cancer claims to seek some of this compensation.
VA benefits claims: If an asbestos manufacturing worker also served in the U.S. military, they may be eligible for VA benefits like monthly payouts worth over $4,100 monthly and free or inexpensive lung cancer treatments through the military health care system.

We may be able to pursue compensation for asbestos lung cancer on your behalf, making the process much easier for you and your family. Get a free case review now to find out your eligibility.

Find Support for Asbestos Manufacturers With Lung Cancer

Those working to manufacture asbestos-containing materials risked exposure to toxic fibers on an everyday basis. In the present day, far too many of these former manufacturing workers have gotten sick with lung cancer, mesothelioma, and other serious health problems.

While we can’t give you your health back, Lung Cancer Group is ready to assist you and your family during this uncertain time.

Work with our team to:

Explore top treatments for lung cancer
Find out how you may have been exposed to asbestos
Pursue financial compensation to cover your bills
Receive the support you deserve

Call (877) 446-5767 or get a Free Lung Cancer Guide now to explore all of the ways our team may be able to help you.

Asbestos Manufacturing & Lung Cancer FAQs

How is asbestos manufactured?

Asbestos is a natural material, but it can be made or incorporated into building materials, automotive parts, and other goods through various manufacturing processes.

The steps vary by industry, but generally speaking, asbestos must first be mined from rock deposits and then taken to a manufacturing plant where it can be used in everything from insulation to cosmetic materials.

Asbestos manufacturing typically involves grinding, sanding, cutting, or otherwise manipulating raw asbestos, all of which can release fibers into the air. Workers in manufacturing plants didn’t know that asbestos was a carcinogen (cancer-causing substance) as major corporations hid the risk factors for decades.

Who is the largest supplier of asbestos?

Prior to the early 1980s, the largest suppliers and manufacturers of asbestos-containing materials were companies like Johns-Manville, U.S. Gypsum, Armstrong World Industries, and Owens Corning.

These corporations manufactured a variety of asbestos products like insulation, brake pads, cement, and more, knowing that workers could get sick later in life if asbestos fibers were breathed in. Instead of protecting asbestos manufacturing workers, these companies hid the deadly truth for decades to keep their profits up.

Call (877) 446-5767 now to get help if you developed lung cancer and worked in the asbestos manufacturing industry decades ago, as you may be owed compensation from companies like these.

When did asbestos stop being manufactured?

Asbestos-containing materials are still manufactured today. The United States has largely banned the use of asbestos in new components, but in countries like China, India, and Brazil, asbestos is still used in the manufacturing of many materials.

The chlor-alkali industry still uses raw asbestos in the U.S. today, but EPA bans on this harmful material are forcing this sector to permanently phase out its use within the next few years.

With that said, there is no way to lower the risk of lung cancer or mesothelioma in those already exposed. As a result, former asbestos manufacturing workers exposed decades ago are still getting sick now.

What is the average payout for asbestos exposure?

The average payout varies depending on the facts of each case, such as what type of asbestos-related disease someone has developed. With that said, many other asbestos cases have paid out $1 million or more for illnesses like malignant mesothelioma and lung cancer.

At Lung Cancer Group, we’ve partnered with experienced lung cancer lawyers who have recovered millions of dollars for other families impacted by a diagnosis. They may be able to help you recover a significant payout.

Get a free case review to find out how much asbestos compensation could be available in your case.