Telling Your Doctor About Asbestos Work

Exposure was common in shipyards, power plants, refineries, steel mills, construction and demolition, auto repair involving brakes and clutches, and many factories. Navy service, especially aboard ships built before the 1980s, is a major source. Insulators, pipefitters, boilermakers, electricians, plumbers and mechanics are among the trades most often affected. Even office workers in older industrial buildings may have been around damaged insulation. Include any job where you remember dust from insulation, gaskets, cement products, fireproofing or brake parts. Carpenters, drywall finishers, roofers and HVAC workers also appear often in exposure histories. If you are unsure whether a job counts, include it and let the doctor decide.

Many people were exposed without ever working with asbestos. Fibers came home on work clothes, boots and in vehicles. Spouses who shook out and washed laundry, and children who hugged a parent after a shift, may have breathed those fibers. Home renovations involving old insulation, floor tiles or joint compound are another source. Living near certain mines or plants has also been linked to exposure. If a parent or spouse worked in a high-risk job, share that as part of your own history. Share any of these possibilities with your doctor as well.

A one-page summary is easier for a doctor to use than a long story in a short appointment. List each relevant job with employer, location, years and what you did. Note military service with branch, ships or bases and dates. Add any household exposure. Hand a copy to the doctor and ask that it be added to your record. This written history can speed diagnosis and ensure your chart reflects your background accurately, which also matters if you later seek compensation. Update it whenever you remember more details, and keep a copy in your personal file.

1. 1

   Write a one-page exposure summary listing jobs, locations, years and tasks involving dust.

2. 2

   Include household exposure from a family member's work clothes or home renovations.

3. 3

   Give the summary to each new doctor and ask that it be added to your chart.

4. 4

   Update the summary whenever family members remember additional jobs or details.