Steel Mill Workers

Many different professionals work in steel mills. Steel mill workers include skilled tradespeople, manufacturers, maintenance workers, and janitorial staff. Anyone involved in the process of manufacturing steel products during the time when asbestos was used is at a high risk for developing an asbestos-related health problem.

Written and Fact-Checked by: Laura Wright

Steel Mill Workers and Asbestos Exposure

Before the dangers of asbestos were known, the material was embraced for the superior properties it possesses, such as:

  • Durability
  • Fireproofing ability
  • Insulating properties
  • Light weight
  • Low cost

As a result, it was incorporated into many aspects of 20th-century manufacturing. Even personal protective gear (now used to protect people from asbestos) contained asbestos fibers.

Steel mills are hazardous environments. Therefore, it makes sense that areas of the mill were “improved” with asbestos to make them safer. However, all the well-intentioned insulation and fireproofing have caused serious health problems for the very people it was meant to protect.

Did You Know?

According to the Asbestos Resource Center, steel and ironworkers are among the highest risk of asbestos exposure. Within the steel mill industry, maintenance workers have been found to have the highest rates of asbestos-related disease.

While asbestos was phased out of manufacturing by the 1980s, most of the remaining steel mills in the U.S. were built before the ban took effect. Despite efforts to remove and contain asbestos, hundreds of thousands of asbestos-containing buildings remain.

This is perhaps why maintenance workers are reported to have the highest rates of asbestos-related disease — they routinely work on the pre-1970s infrastructure of the steel mills and encounter asbestos fibers on a daily basis.

Steel Mill Workers Roles and Responsibilities

Steel mills are complex manufacturing facilities and require many people to fill different roles in order to operate.

Some of the positions most likely to expose workers to asbestos include:

  • Furnace operator
  • Inspector
  • Machine setter
  • Operator
  • Pourer/caster
  • Steel lather/millwright
  • Tender
  • Welder

Asbestos-related diseases were initially discovered in people working in asbestos mines, mills, and factories. But by the middle of the 20th century, asbestos-related diseases were being found in end-product users, such as shipyard workers, insulators, and steelworkers.

Steel Mill Workers and Mesothelioma

Microscopic asbestos fibers may be inhaled or ingested by those working around asbestos in steel mills. Once inside the respiratory or digestive system, asbestos fibers embed themselves into organ tissues covering the lungs, abdomen, and heart and are impossible to remove.

Did You Know?

Over time, lodged asbestos fibers can cause inflammation and irritation to the surrounding healthy tissues, mutating them into cancerous mesothelioma cells. By nature mesothelioma cells grow and divide out of control, clumping to form masses of cancerous tissues called tumors.

It can take between 20 and 50 years for mesothelioma to develop. By the time steelworkers may detect symptoms, the disease has typically advanced into the late stages where it becomes difficult to treat. Steel mill workers with mesothelioma require a specialized treatment plan that may include surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation.

Mesothelioma Guide Images
Get Your Free 2023 Mesothelioma Guide
  • Top treatments & doctors
  • Financial assistance
  • Accessing VA benefits

Get Your Free Guide

Compensation for Steel Mill Workers

Many of the companies that manufactured asbestos products have been found liable for causing health problems for the people who used their products. Steel mill workers with mesothelioma may be eligible for legal compensation.

If you’ve received a mesothelioma diagnosis and you have a history of working in a steel mill, contact our Justice Support Team today. Our team can connect you with important legal and medical resources. Get a free case review today.

Written by:

Lead Editor

Laura Wright is a journalist and content strategist with more than 15 years of professional experience. She attended college at the University of Florida, graduating magna cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in journalism in 2008. Her writing has been featured in The Gainesville Sun and other regional publications throughout Florida.

Speak to a Patient Advocate About Your Options

If you or someone you love has been diagnosed with mesothelioma, there is hope. Contact us to learn more about mesothelioma and your treatment options.

  • Latest treatment information
  • Financial assistance for treatment
  • VA benefits help

Submit your information and a Patient Advocate will call you right back!

Complete the Form to Speak to a Patient Advocate

Free Survivors Guide
7 inspiring stories of hope & survival
  • Survivors who beat the odds
  • Tips for fighting mesothelioma
  • Navigating life after treatment
Get Your Free Download

“If I can help give even one person a small bit of hope, then this life of mine is worth something.”

Alexis Kidd, Mesothelioma Survivor