Mesothelioma and asbestos exposure in Cleveland

Steelmaking along the Cuyahoga River was central to Cleveland's growth. Blast furnaces, open hearths and rolling mills used asbestos insulation, furnace linings and heat-resistant gear, and maintenance workers repaired asbestos-covered steam and gas lines. Nearby, Great Lakes shipyards built and repaired freighters whose engine rooms and boilers were insulated with asbestos. Workers who relined furnaces or repaired hot equipment often handled asbestos gloves, blankets and insulating cement. Over the decades, mill ownership changed several times, but the equipment and materials inside the plants often stayed the same. Freighter crews could also be exposed while working in engine rooms on long voyages across the lakes.

Cleveland also had coal-fired power plants, chemical plants and many factories making parts for the auto and machinery industries. Asbestos gaskets, packing, brake parts and pipe insulation were common in these settings. Construction across the city added more exposure through fireproofing and insulation in commercial and public buildings. Because so many Cleveland workers moved among these industries, their exposure histories often include several employers. Tradespeople from Cleveland union halls moved between these job sites for years at a time. Custodians and building engineers in older downtown buildings, schools and hospitals could also be exposed during repairs to boilers and pipes insulated with asbestos.