Union: IBEW & UWUA (utility workers)

How Power Plant Operators Were Exposed to Asbestos

During normal duties, Power Plant Operators were routinely exposed to asbestos-containing materials in Connecticut industrial, commercial, shipyard, and aerospace construction work from the 1930s through the 1980s. Documented exposure pathways drawn from public litigation records and industrial hygiene literature include:

  • Watch standing in boiler rooms and turbine halls with asbestos lagging
  • Maintaining feedwater pumps and condensate systems with asbestos packing
  • Inspecting and tagging out equipment during annual boiler outages
  • Sampling and adjusting steam systems through insulated valves
  • Bystander exposure during boilermaker and insulator outage work

Primary-Source Reference

A 1979 U.S. Department of Energy / OSTI report documenting asbestos-containing insulation, gaskets, packing, and refractory materials across the U.S. power-generation fleet is hosted here as a public-record reference:

📄 OSTI 1979 Powerplant Asbestos Reference (PDF, 18 MB) →

Why This Matters for Connecticut Workers

If you worked as a power plant operators in Connecticut during the asbestos era and have been diagnosed with mesothelioma, asbestosis, lung cancer, or pleural disease, you may have a legal claim — even if your employer is no longer in business. Many asbestos product manufacturers have established bankruptcy trust funds that continue to pay qualified claimants based on documented exposure history.

Connecticut Filing Deadlines — Two Separate Clocks

Connecticut keeps the personal-injury clock (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 52-584 — 3 years from diagnosis) and the wrongful-death clock (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 52-555 — 2 years from date of death) on separate, independent tracks. Preserving one does not extend the other. An experienced asbestos attorney can keep both options open as your situation evolves.

Talk to an Experienced Asbestos Attorney

A free, confidential consultation with O’Brien Law Firm can evaluate your specific exposure history and filing-deadline situation. No fee unless they pursue a legal claim.

☎ (314) 237-7046

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