Mesothelioma has become a common topic for oil refinery workers, given the high number of diagnoses within the past decade. The cancer has a latency of between 20 and 50 years, meaning those who worked in oil refineries before the 1990s are now seeing the symptoms develop.
Sadly, this doesn’t come as a surprise, as oil refinery workers are three times more likely to develop mesothelioma than the general population.
Mesothelioma exposure in oil refineries, however, should have been avoided. Many employers and manufacturers overlooked the known risks of asbestos. While bearing the cost of this negligence, they have the right to compensation.
In this guide, you’ll learn where asbestos exposure was common in oil refineries, the health risks, and what oil refinery workers with mesothelioma can do to take legal action.
Why Oil Refinery Workers Face High Mesothelioma Risk
Oil refineries used extensive piping to transport crude oil to various processing tanks and storage units. The extreme heat and fire hazards posed required extensive fireproof insulation. Asbestos was the go-to solution.
Anyone working around pipe insulation was exposed to dangerous levels of asbestos that exceeded safe levels (ranging from 0.1 to 0.9 fibers per cubic centimeter). During insulation removal, the 8-hour average ranged from 0.01 to 0.15 f/cc. For insulation stripping and valve and joint repacking, it ranged from <0.01 to 0.02 f/c.
The frequent routine or intensive work led to a cumulative dose build-up, leaving the oil refinery workers with some of the highest exposure figures of any industry at risk for asbestos exposure. A study even found that the petroleum refining industry has one of the highest proportional mortality ratios (PMR) for mesothelioma among the 200+ industries studied.
The Use of Limpet in Oil Refineries
Asbestos widely used in oil refineries was limpet asbestos, commonly called limpet. It is considered significantly more dangerous than other forms of asbestos.
Limpet was made up of 60 percent asbestos, 38 percent cement, and 2 percent mineral oil. Among its uses was as a fireproofing material sprayed on steel beams, girders, columns, and beneath floors; and as a thermal insulation sprayed on tanks and turbines. It was also applied to fireproof vessel skirts, stills, and tank storage vessels.
Since routine maintenance at oil refineries is the responsibility of the staff, any type of repair work performed on equipment sprayed with limpet would have exposed these workers to asbestos fibers.
Where Was High-Risk Exposure in Oil Refineries?
Any oil refinery workers who worked in areas where exposure was high are likely to have breathed a significant dosage of asbestos fibers.
Asbestos Sheet Gaskets
The greatest exposure to asbestos resulted from the cutting of sheet gaskets. These were formed in various sizes at the on-site and machine shop at the refinery.
Replacing these sheet gaskets also posed a significant risk of exposure because they sometimes broke during removal, leaving pieces on either one or both seating surfaces.
When this happened, the broken pieces would be pried or scraped off, and the seating would then be scraped or sanded before a new gasket was installed. All of these activities released asbestos fibers into the air if the surfaces were not wetted down.
Oil Refinery Piping
Workers responsible for maintaining the miles of piping at a refinery could have been working with materials containing 85 percent asbestos and 15 percent magnesia substrate (used to prevent hot liquids from passing through leaks).
Oil Refinery Cracking Coils
Cracking coils were also heavily insulated with asbestos-containing materials. Used in the process of breaking down hydrocarbons, they performed at temperatures ranging from 450 to 750 degrees Celsius. Asbestos was therefore used as an insulator.
Asbestos Gasket Coils
The installation and maintenance of asbestos gaskets would have also left oil refinery workers vulnerable.
Asbestos gaskets were used in piping, valves, and pumps to prevent leakage. There were three types:
- Sheet gaskets: These were 1/8-or 1/16-inch-thick compressed asbestos sheets from which the gaskets had to be cut for installation.
- Spiral wound gaskets: This type of gasket contains asbestos filler material compressed between stainless steel spiral windings.
- Meta-jacketed gaskets: These were also made from asbestos filler material, but in this case, it was compressed between metal jacketing.
Protective Clothing
Even the protective clothing of oil refinery workers included asbestos to protect them from fire. Damage from normal wear and tear would cause these items to release asbestos fibers into the air, where they could be inhaled.
Other Asbestos-Containing Equipment and Systems
Asbestos components were also present in the areas listed below:
- Boilers and heat exchangers
- Turbines and compressors
- Gaskets, valves, and pumps
- Storage tanks
- Cooling towers
- Fireproofing on steel structures
- Insulation in control rooms
- Floor tiles and roofing materials
- Protective clothing
Oil Refinery Occupations with the Highest Asbestos Exposure Risk
There is a 3029 standard mortality ratio caused by mesothelioma in oil refinery employees who worked as insulators, directly handling the materials. Pipefitters, boilermakers, maintenance mechanics, and turnaround workers. All those positions would have been regularly exposed to multiple sources of asbestos disturbance.
However, even bystanders would have been exposed due to poor ventilation and the sheer volume of materials surrounding them. Ambient fiber exposure would have even been present from the degradation of materials from daily operations.
Secondary Exposure Risk to Families of Oil Refinery Workers
Many family members of those who worked in asbestos-exposed jobs have suffered from mesothelioma. For example, one study showed that around 2-7% of children of shipyard workers developed asbestosis.
Similar patterns have been observed among oil refinery workers, likely due to asbestos fibers carried home on work clothing and on body hair. These family members are just as entitled to compensation as the employees.
Health Risks and Symptoms Caused By Asbestos in Oil Refineries
Mesothelioma is one of the most common health concerns for ex-oil refinery workers. The disease develops in the pleural lining of the lungs or the peritoneal lining after inhaling fibers that lodge and inflame tissues. It isn’t detected until 20 to 50 years after the exposure.
Symptoms of mesothelioma in oil refinery workers include a persistent cough, chest pain, shortness of breath, unexplained weight loss, and fatigue.
Major Oil Refineries with Documented Asbestos Exposure
Major U.S. oil refineries (mostly built before the 1980s) have documented asbestos exposure and have seen large numbers of lawsuits, including at:
- Chevron facilities (Richmond, California; Pascagoula, Mississippi; El Paso, Texas)
- ExxonMobil refineries
- Shell Oil facilities
- Marathon Petroleum
- ConocoPhillips
- BP refineries
Which state was most impacted by asbestos exposure in oil refineries?
Texas has the highest oil refinery employment and exposure risk due to its concentration of facilities. California, Wyoming, New Jersey, and Louisiana also have notable case figures, given the major contaminated refineries in each state.
- Texas has 47 refineries, including Port Arthur (the largest in the US), Beaumont, Baytown, and Texas City.
- Louisiana has 19 refineries, including Garyville, Baton Rouge, and Lake Charles.
- California has 18 refineries, including Carson and Los Angeles refineries.
How Can Oil Refinery Workers with Mesothelioma Claim Compensation?
Mesothelioma oil refinery workers have the right to compensation if their asbestos exposure was caused by the negligence of a party such as an employer, manufacturer, or asbestos supplier.
Personal Injury lawsuits for Mesothelioma in Oil Refinery Workers
Personal injury lawsuits are among the primary tools for obtaining a lump-sum settlement. They typically target equipment manufacturers and employers, helping to cover damages such as medical expenses, lost wages, and pain and suffering.
Asbestos Trust Funds
If the company has since gone bankrupt, then you may still be able to gain compensation via claims against Asbestos Trust Funds. These trusts were set up in the 1980s following a wave of lawsuits that sent companies into bankruptcy. Laws were specifically enacted to ensure that the funds remain available to mesothelioma victims of oil refineries.
Wrongful Death Claims
Surviving family members can also make wrongful death claims if a loved one has died of mesothelioma caused by working in an oil refinery. Coverage can include funeral and burial costs, as well as compensation for the loss of support and companionship.
Veterans’ Benefits for Refinery Workers
Veterans who worked at military-operated refineries or fuel depots may be entitled to VA disability benefits. Mesothelioma is now given a 100% VA disability rating. Note that dual compensation is allowed, so a lawsuit will not affect your rights to VA benefits.
Gain Legal Support for Mesothelioma, an Oil Refinery Worker
If you or a loved one were exposed to asbestos while working at an oil refinery, then you can pursue compensation for your suffering and damages.
At Shrader & Associates, we specialize in providing nationwide support to oil refinery workers in obtaining the compensation they deserve. We can uncover documentation that links your diagnosis to the place and time you worked.
We welcome you to a free consultation today by calling our asbestos exposure attorneys at 866-262-8170 or contacting us online here to get started.
FAQs on Mesothelioma and Oil Refineries
Are oil refinery workers at higher risk for mesothelioma?
Yes. They are three times more at risk than the general population due to extensive asbestos insulation use.
What specific jobs in oil refineries had the most asbestos exposure?
Insulators, boiler operators, welders, maintenance workers, and pipefitters are believed to have suffered the most cumulative exposure.
Can family members of refinery workers develop mesothelioma?
Yes, through secondary exposure from contaminated work clothing.
How long after refinery work does mesothelioma appear?
There is a 20-50 year latency period, meaning many workers from the 1960s-1980s are being diagnosed today.
Can I file a lawsuit if the refinery closed or changed ownership?
Yes, lawsuits target asbestos product manufacturers, not always the refinery employer. There may also be an Asbestos Trust Fund set up for the since-closed company.