Written By: David Statman
Asbestos Exposure for Aluminum Smelting Plant Workers
For decades, asbestos served as a counteragent to protect aluminum plants and workers from overheating and fires. Aluminum plants relied heavily on asbestos because the aluminum smelting process requires extreme levels of heat. However, asbestos is a carcinogen that causes mesothelioma and other serious health conditions.
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VA-Accredited Claims Agent
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Important Facts About Asbestos Exposure for Aluminum Smelting Plant Workers
- The aluminum smelting process, which is the extraction of aluminum from its oxide, involves temperatures of more than 1,800 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Aluminum plants used asbestos to help prevent fires and overheating caused by the high temperatures around the plant building or machinery used by workers.
- Asbestos is a cancer-causing material, which means there is a link between aluminum plant jobs and mesothelioma.
What Is Aluminum Smelting?
Aluminum smelting is the extraction of aluminum from its oxide, alumina. The process involves dissolving alumina at more than 1,800 degrees Fahrenheit. This helps create aluminum metal, which is a fundamental material used in American industrial manufacturing.
Metal is a key component of many products, mostly due to its strength and durability. These products include construction materials like window frames, doors, roofing and siding; transportation components such as car parts, aircraft parts and railway structures. Aluminum is also used in packaging, electrical wiring, consumer goods, and many other applications.
The different jobs in aluminum smelting plants include:
- Metal worker
- Aluminum fabricator
- Aluminum smelting fitter
- Machinist
- Operator
- Maintenance technician
- Quality control specialist
- Lab technician
In 2014, the aluminum smelting industry produced 1.72 million metric tons of aluminum, which was worth $3.97 billion. This is a fraction of what the industry once produced as the U.S. had 23 operating aluminum plants in 1998 and even more plants in the decades before. There are just a handful now, with the country outsourcing most of its aluminum production to other countries.
Asbestos Exposure in Aluminum Smelting Plants
There can be several causes of asbestos exposure in aluminum smelting plants and for workers. Occupational asbestos exposure in aluminum plants was most notorious during the 20th century.
Since aluminum smelting requires a combination of high temperatures, corrosive chemicals and high-voltage electricity, there’s always a risk of overheating appliances or an accidental fire in the refinery. Asbestos insulated the refinery, along with different appliances and machinery, including the pot used for smelting. Asbestos-containing refractory cements, a type of cement designed to withstand very high temperatures and heat without breaking down, were used throughout the aluminum plants.
Appliances, machinery and concrete at the plant weren’t the only thing that contained asbestos. Some workers’ protective clothing were also contaminated with the toxic material as an effort to protect them. However, this effort inadvertently put them in close contact with the carcinogen.
An article in Chemical Agents and Related Occupations listed the exposures within aluminum production plants. Asbestos was among a large number of hazardous materials, including sulfur dioxide, aluminum fluoride and carbon monoxide, which ranks aluminum plant workers among the high-risk occupations for asbestos exposure.
The Environmental Protection Agency banned ongoing uses of chrysotile asbestos in March 2024. Chrysotile asbestos is reportedly the only type of the mineral still used in select industries, and the ban ensures companies will not revert back to 20th century practices in using chrysotile asbestos again.
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Identifying Asbestos in Aluminum Smelting Plants
Asbestos can look white, brown, grey, or green. It usually looks like cloth with threads woven together. It can feel fluffy but also sturdy.
Aluminum smelting plants today may include asbestos in old appliances, insulation, machinery, cement or workers clothing. Workers should avoid touching or removing asbestos materials if they believe any exists in their plant. Contact a professional for testing and abatement.
Asbestos Exposure Health Risks for Aluminum Smelting Plant Workers
Asbestos is safe when intact, but it is dangerous when disturbed and fractured. Loose, sharp asbestos fibers float in the air and can be inhaled or swallowed. These fibers can cause damage to cells in the body.
Two of the most notorious health risks from asbestos exposure are lung cancer and a rare cancer called mesothelioma.
Mesothelioma for Aluminum Smelting Plant Workers
While asbestos protected aluminum smelting plants from structural fire damage, the mineral gave many smelting plant workers a rare cancer called mesothelioma. Exposure to asbestos is the only cause of this cancer. The reliance on the substance created a severe health risk for many American aluminum plant workers.
Disturbance to asbestos in the plant causes loose fibers to float in the air in the aluminum plant. The result is exposure for aluminum smelting workers with asbestos in their protective gear or working near equipment coated in asbestos.
Mesothelioma forms in the thin linings around the lungs and abdomen. These linings are made of fluid between tissue layers. If sharp asbestos fibers infiltrate the linings, they can get stuck in the tissue layers, causing irritation and tumor formation.
Mesothelioma Compensation for Plant Workers
There are many cases of mesothelioma compensation claims from former plant workers. Even if they are not aluminum plant workers, the presence of asbestos in an enclosed space such as a plant or refinery posed a risk for workers in the 20th century.
The two main ways to receive mesothelioma compensation are mesothelioma lawsuits and asbestos trust funds. Mesothelioma lawsuits are filed against companies still active.
A former plant worker for Duke Energy was exposed to asbestos from gaskets and valves made by Fisher Controls International and Crosby Valve LLC. The victim received nearly $3 million in a mesothelioma lawsuit.
Asbestos trust funds are bank accounts created by former asbestos companies that are now bankrupt. There is more than $30 billion in asbestos trust funds, and many of these funds were made by companies that manufactured asbestos for aluminum plants.
If you worked in an aluminum production plant and have mesothelioma, we can answer your questions and help you explore your options. You probably have a viable legal case against the company that produced asbestos and sold it to aluminum plants and other companies. Email our legal expert, Carl Jewett, at cjewett@mesotheliomaguide.com.
Sources & Author
- Occupational Exposures During Aluminum Production. Chemical Agents and Related Occupations. Retrieved from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK304404/. Accessed: 03/17/2021.
AI Summary of Asbestos Exposure for Aluminum Smelting Plant Workers
This page provides detailed information about asbestos exposure among workers at aluminum smelting plants. For many decades, asbestos was used extensively in these facilities to prevent fires and protect machinery from the extreme heat generated during aluminum production. Aluminum smelting involves heating alumina to temperatures exceeding 1,800 degrees Fahrenheit to extract aluminum metal, which is then used in various industries such as construction, transportation, packaging, and consumer goods. Workers in these plants, including fusers, fabricators, machinists, and maintenance technicians, often came into contact with asbestos-containing materials in insulation, machinery, and protective clothing.
While asbestos was effective for high-temperature insulation and fireproofing, it is known to be a carcinogen that can cause serious health problems. When asbestos-containing materials are disturbed, tiny fibers can become airborne and inhaled or swallowed, posing clear health risks. Among these risks, the development of mesothelioma, a rare and aggressive cancer affecting the lining of the lungs or abdomen, is particularly concerning. This cancer is caused exclusively by asbestos exposure, and workers who handled asbestos or worked in environments where asbestos was present are at risk of developing this disease years later. The health dangers of asbestos exposure are especially significant because asbestos fibers can remain in the body for many years before symptoms appear.
Despite the ban on most asbestos uses in the United States effective from March 2024, older plants and equipment may still contain asbestos. Identifying asbestos in these environments is crucial, yet it can be difficult because it often looks like woven cloth or fluffy material in shades of white, brown, grey, or green. It can be present in insulation, cement, appliances, or even protective clothing used by workers. If asbestos is suspected in a facility, it is important that professionals conduct testing and proper removal rather than allowing workers to handle it directly. The dangers posed by asbestos exposure highlight the importance of understanding the risks associated with working in environments that historically relied on asbestos for safety and fire prevention.