When the average American thinks of someone who works for a phone company, they may not associate them with health risks that could lead to a deadly disease. Working for a phone company may not be commonly thought of as a “dangerous” occupation. In the past, however, it very much was – all because these workers were unknowingly exposed to a microscopic, toxic fiber that could increase risk of a fatal cancer called mesothelioma.
Regardless of whether they were installers, equipment engineers, line technicians, construction workers, job supervisors or account reps, all telephone employees had the potential for possible inhalation of deadly fibers from products that were all too common to the phone industry.
To make matters worse, asbestos-containing fireproofing and insulation materials were often used as building materials. These central offices are large structures that contain multiple switching systems, transmission and signaling equipment, cable vaults, terminals, conduit lines, underground plants, switchboards and other equipment necessary to provide service to customers in nearby geographic areas. In addition to potential exposure to asbestos-containing building materials, phone company staff working in central offices were subject to asbestos exposure from a variety of materials specific to their industry, including: