Who Is At Risk?


Steel Workers

The steelworker designation includes occupations concerned with manufacturing hot metal, pig iron, silvery pig iron, and ferro alloys from iron ore and iron and steel scrap; converting pig iron, scrap iron, and scrap steel into steel; rolling iron and steel into basic shapes, such as plates, sheets, strips, rods, bars, and tubing; and manufacturing coke. Asbestos has been used heavily in metal refining operations, steel mills, and foundries. The "turn arounds" of steel ovens, the use of asbestos in insulated steam pipes, boilers and similar equipment, exposure to high temperature refractory furnace linings, launders, smelters, and ladles in the steel industry has created a well documented path of lung disease victims. Additional exposure could have come in the form of asbestos aprons, leggings, and gloves worn by steelworkers near molten metals. Asbestos blankets and cloths were also used to control the cooling of metal castings. Any of these steel manufacturing products could have exposed steel workers to dangerously high levels of asbestos particulate possibly resulting in tragic instances of deadly lung disease. Steel Industry Occupations: First-line supervisors/managers of production and operating workers Extruding and drawing machine setters, operators, and tenders Rolling machine setters, operators, and tenders Cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders Grinding, lapping, polishing, and buffing machine tool setters, operators, and tenders Machinists Millwrights Metal-refining furnace operators and tenders Pourers and casters, metal Multiple machine tool setters, operators, and tenders Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers Heat treating equipment setters, operators, and tenders All other metal workers Inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers Helpers--Production workers