Welders breathed asbestos from two directions for most of the twentieth century: from the heat-resistant gear made to protect them, and from the insulation, gaskets, and coatings on the equipment they repaired. In Arizona, that meant welders at copper smelters, power plants, military bases, and fabrication shops, many of whom are only now being diagnosed with mesothelioma.
At Throneberry Law Group, we have handled asbestos cases for Arizona tradespeople for about two decades, including exposure claims arising from the Navajo Generating Station. Our Arizona mesothelioma lawyers trace each client's work history ourselves, and Michael Throneberry, who lost his father-in-law to mesothelioma, personally handles the cases we take.
How Did Welders Come Into Contact With Asbestos
Asbestos resists heat, fire, and chemicals, and it does not conduct electricity, which made it an obvious choice for welding supplies. The National Cancer Institute describes those same properties as the reason the mineral ended up in so many industrial products. For welders, the exposure often came from the gear within arm's reach.
- Welding blankets and curtains: Asbestos cloth caught sparks and slag and shed fibers as it frayed.
- Gloves, aprons, and sleeves: Protective clothing woven with asbestos released dust with every movement.
- Heat shields and backing boards: Asbestos board was clamped behind welds to protect surrounding surfaces.
- Welding rods: Some rod coatings contained asbestos that became airborne as the rod burned.
As those items wore out or were damaged, they released microscopic fibers that welders and everyone nearby inhaled.
Where Else Did Arizona Welders Encounter Asbestos
Many welders worked in places that were already full of asbestos. Repairs often meant cutting through asbestos pipe or boiler insulation, grinding welded joints coated in asbestos compounds, or rebuilding pumps and valves packed with asbestos gaskets. In tight spaces such as a boiler room, the fibers had nowhere to go.
In Arizona, those settings included the state's copper mines and smelters, its power plants such as the Navajo Generating Station near Page and Palo Verde west of Phoenix, and military installations such as Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson. Our list of Arizona sites with known asbestos exposure names many more.
When Was Welder Exposure Most Common
Asbestos use grew during World War II and stayed common through the early 1980s. Welders who worked from the 1940s into the 1980s had the highest chance of exposure, especially in shipyards, power plants, refineries, steel mills, and heavy construction. Arizona had no shipyards, but many Arizona welders served in the Navy before coming home, and our page on Arizona Navy veterans and asbestos covers that history.
Regulations in the 1970s and 1980s reduced new uses, so welders working today face lower risk. The equipment installed before then stayed in service for decades, and tearing it out exposed another generation.
Which Health Conditions Are Linked to Welder Exposure
Asbestos exposure is linked to mesothelioma, a rare and aggressive cancer of the lining of the lungs or abdomen, as well as asbestosis and lung cancer. According to the National Cancer Institute, symptoms can take from 10 to 40 years or more to appear, so a welder who left the trade in the 1980s may only now be getting sick.
Family members were exposed too. Fibers clung to work clothes and rode home, and spouses and children who breathed that dust may have their own claims. Our post on secondary asbestos exposure claims in Arizona explains how Arizona law treats those cases.
What Legal Options Do Arizona Welders Have
Because welders moved between job sites and employers, compensation may come from more than one source. You may be able to file an asbestos trust fund claim against bankrupt manufacturers, sue product makers that are still in business, and in some cases pursue a premises claim against a property owner. Veterans may also qualify for VA benefits, and families may bring a wrongful death claim after a loss.
Arizona's deadlines are strict. Our post on how long you have to file a mesothelioma lawsuit in Arizona explains the two-year rule, and the clock usually starts at diagnosis.
Arizona Mesothelioma Lawyers at Throneberry Law Group
Welders kept Arizona's smelters, power plants, and bases running, and the gear meant to protect them did lasting harm. At Throneberry Law Group, we rebuild that work history, identify the companies that made the blankets, rods, gaskets, and insulation involved, and pursue every source of recovery, in court and through the trusts. We serve Arizona families in English and Spanish.
If you welded in Arizona and have been diagnosed with mesothelioma or another asbestos disease, we can review your history and explain what compensation may be available. The consultation is free and there is no fee unless we recover for you. Tell us about your work through our contact form.
