Asbestos Oil Industry

Those who work in the oil industry are among those facing the highest risk of asbestos exposure.  All the oil refineries within the United States were constructed before 1976, years before federal asbestos regulations were implemented.  Because of this, an abundance of asbestos was used in the construction of these refineries.

Oil Refineries. A Dangerous Place to Work

The function of oil refineries is to refine and process crude oil into various petroleum products.  Oil refinery jobs are and have always been dangerous since petroleum is highly flammable.  For this reason the industry made wide use of asbestos as insulation.

Unfortunately for oil refinery employees, asbestos becomes brittle over time, causing it to flake and turn into dust.  Anyone inhaling this deadly dust over prolonged periods of time becomes extremely vulnerable to asbestos related diseases, such as asbestosis and mesothelioma cancer.

Extensive Use of Asbestos

For decades, any sort of vessel that held highly-flammable material was insulated with asbestos, so overexposure to the dangerous material was virtually unavoidable for those working in oil refineries. A wide variety of items containing asbestos can always be found in a refinery.  Some of those items include:

• Pipes
• Tanks
• Reactors
• Heat Exchangers
• Boilers
• Roasters
• Ovens
• Driers
• Furnaces
• Pumps

Fire Suits Made of Asbestos

The protective gear issued by some oil companies were themselves the source of toxic asbestos. Asbestos fire suits made prior to the 1980s often exposed refinery workers to fibers if they became worn or damaged.

Holding Oil Companies Accountable for Asbestos Exposure

Filing an asbestos lawsuit against a large oil company is no small task.  This is because:

• Oil companies have the financial means and resources to turn the legal process into a long and arduous journey, typically doing so with the intent of wearing down those acting against them.
• The last twenty-five years have seen a drastic consolidation of the oil industry through mergers and acquisitions. This means that the company a plaintiff worked for back when the asbestos exposure took place is likely to have been taken over by another corporation a few times over.

Anyone who worked for an oil drilling contractor should realize that the company they worked for thirty to forty years ago has probably been absorbed by a larger oil company.  For this reason, it is important to hire a law firm that specializes in asbestos litigation.

For more information contact Mesothelioma Centers today.