Textile Workers Asbestos Exposure
Between the 1930s and early 1980s, textile mills and factories across the country exposed workers to asbestos. Breathing in or swallowing asbestos fibers could cause textile workers to develop lung cancer and other serious health problems later in life. Get help if you or someone you love has an asbestos-related disease after working in a textile mill.
Textile Workers, Asbestos Exposure & Lung Cancer Risks
The use of asbestos in the textile industry was all too common for much of the 20th century. Textile manufacturing has historically relied on materials and processes that generate hazardous dusts and fibers. One of the most notable of these was asbestos.
Asbestos was commonly added to textile products to help them stay strong. However, textile workers could easily breathe in or swallow these harmful fibers, unknowingly putting themselves in danger of lung cancer and other illnesses decades down the line.
Textile Workers and Asbestos Exposure Quick Facts
- Airborne exposure to asbestos can occur during the spinning, weaving, and cutting of fabrics in textile mills.
- Boilers, dryers, and looms used in textile factories were often insulated with asbestos.
- Asbestos exposure is linked to lung cancer, mesothelioma, and asbestosis among textile workers.
- Asbestos dust on clothing endangered textile workers’ families through secondary exposure.
- Compensation could be awarded after an asbestos-related lung cancer diagnosis, with some payouts worth $1 million or more.
An asbestos-related lung cancer diagnosis can be devastating to former textile workers and their families. However, Lung Cancer Group is here to help.
Get our Free Lung Cancer Guide for everything you need to know after a diagnosis, from what to expect, accessing treatment, and how to afford care.
- Understand risk factors
- Find top treatments
- Pursue compensation
High-Risk Products for Textile Workers Asbestos Exposure
Asbestos in the textile industry was used for a variety of materials, helping with fireproofing and durability. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), raw asbestos was woven into various textile products to make it stronger.
Asbestos textile products include:
- Cloths
- Friction materials
- Garnets
- Insulation
- Yarn
Asbestos was pressed into a mat, cut up into a material called roving, combined with cotton to make ribbons, and finally twisted into yarn, as reported by the EPA.
However, all of these activities released harmful fibers into the air, and textile workers breathed them in or swallowed them without notice.
Textile Workers at Risk of Asbestos Exposure & Lung Cancer
Anyone working in textile factories with asbestos could have been exposed, putting them at risk of lung cancer and other serious illnesses decades later. This included everyone from general workers to supervisors.
With that said, some workers were exposed on an everyday basis, giving them a greater chance of getting sick later in life.
Jobs with a high risk of exposure to asbestos in textile mills included:
- Cleaning: Housekeepers vacuuming dusty areas
- Installing or removing products: Handling asbestos panels, gaskets, or pipe insulation
- Maintaining machinery: Repairing insulated equipment like boilers and dryers
- Mixing and blending: Combining asbestos with textile fibers
- Spinning and weaving: Risked releasing asbestos fibers into the air
While the workers may not experience any immediate health effects for many years, they could go on to get sick with life-threatening illnesses.
Call (877) 446-5767 right now for help if you or someone you love might have gotten sick due to working in a textile factory.
Secondary Asbestos Exposure Among Families of Textile Workers
It wasn’t just textile workers who were in danger of exposure to asbestos-containing materials. In fact, family members who lived with asbestos textile workers also risked secondary exposure.
Secondhand exposure to asbestos occurred when textile workers would leave the factory or mill for the day. They would often be covered in dust contaminated with asbestos fibers. When they came home, they would unknowingly spread the toxic dust all over their house, potentially causing children or spouses to become sick later in life.
Textile Workers Asbestos Exposure Illnesses
Textile workers who suffered asbestos exposure could develop serious cancers and other illnesses, typically 10 to 50 years after they first came in contact with this harmful material.
Key asbestos-related diseases include:
- Lung cancer: The risk of lung cancer is high among those exposed to asbestos, and even higher if victims smoked.
- Mesothelioma: Only caused by asbestos, this rare and aggressive cancer develops in the lining of the lungs, abdomen, heart, and other body parts.
- Other illnesses: Asbestos can cause cancers like bladder cancer and ovarian cancer, as well as non-cancerous diseases like asbestosis and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
If you or someone you love worked with asbestos in a textile mill, it’s crucial to watch for possible symptoms of these illnesses, such as a cough or shortness of breath, as you age. You may also want to consider getting lung cancer screenings that can help confirm a diagnosis early on, giving you more treatment options.
Compensation for Textile Workers With Lung Cancer
Workers diagnosed with asbestos-related lung cancer due to textile industry exposure may have several legal routes to pursue compensation.
Textile workers asbestos exposure compensation options include:
- Personal injury lawsuits against manufacturers of asbestos-containing materials, which may award $1 million or more in some cases.
- Trust fund claims filed with bankrupt companies to access some of the $30 billion available.
- Wrongful death claims filed by loved ones of textile workers who passed away, which can also pay out $1 million or more depending on the situation.
- VA benefits for textile workers who served in the military, such as monthly disability compensation worth over $4,000 monthly and free or inexpensive health care.
A textile industry asbestos lawyer can review your legal options and help you file claims, depending on your eligibility.
Get a free case review now to find out what you qualify for.
- Access Financial Aid and Justice
- Learn About Your Options
- Contact Us for Free
Textile Workers Asbestos Exposure: We’re Here to Help
Textile workers who are now suffering from asbestos-related illnesses deserve financial compensation to cover any expenses they face. Manufacturers of asbestos-containing products understood the dangers for decades, but hid the health risks from workers.
At Lung Cancer Group, we’re here to fight for textile workers suffering from asbestos lung cancer as well as their families.
Work with us to:
- Learn about essential lung cancer treatments
- Pursue financial compensation
- Receive the support you need to face this cancer
Get our Free Lung Cancer Guide right now or call (877) 446-5767 to find out how we may be able to assist you and your family.
Textile Workers and Asbestos Exposure FAQs
What percentage of asbestos is found in most asbestos textiles?
The EPA reports that textiles once contained 70% to 80% asbestos in many cases. Asbestos was seen as vital for the textile industry to help keep cloth and other materials more durable.
However, workers who were exposed to the asbestos used in textile manufacturing are now in danger of lung cancer, mesothelioma, and more serious health problems.
What is the average compensation for asbestos exposure?
Those exposed to asbestos, such as textile workers, may qualify for significant compensation if they later got sick with diseases like lung cancer or mesothelioma.
Some who developed asbestos-related lung cancer have received over $1 million, allowing them to pay for treatment costs, recoup lost wages, and more.
Get a free case review to find out how much financial compensation could be available in your case.
What are the health problems in the textile industry?
The textile industry is associated with a wide range of health issues related to asbestos exposure. Notable asbestos-related diseases that impact textile workers include lung cancer, asbestosis, and mesothelioma.
All of these issues can significantly affect quality of life, as many of them are life-threatening. However, with treatment, it may be possible to live for decades in some cases.
Asbestos textiles contain how much asbestos?
Before the health risks were publicly understood, textiles used tons of asbestos. In the year 1985 alone, nearly 1,700 tons were used in textile products throughout the U.S., according to the EPA.
As a result, exposure was likely for many textile workers before the dangers of asbestos were publicly understood.
Call (877) 446-5767 now for help if you or a loved one is now sick with lung cancer and worked with or around asbestos in a textile mill decades ago. We may be able to help you find a path forward.
