Asbestos Cancer from Work Clothes: What Families Need to Know
Not everyone exposed to asbestos worked in a steel mill or chemical plant.
Some of them just did the laundry.
This type of secondary exposure, asbestos cancer from work clothes, — where asbestos fibers are brought home on dusty clothing — has caused thousands of cases of mesothelioma, lung cancer, and asbestosis across the country, including right here in Weirton, Wheeling, Clairton, and Pittsburgh.
🧺 How It Happened
When a worker handled asbestos at a job site — whether insulating boilers, repairing pipe, or welding — the fibers would cling to:
- Overalls
- Jackets
- Gloves
- Boots
- Car interiors
- Lunchboxes and tool bags
At home, their spouse or children would shake out those clothes, breathe the dust, and unknowingly expose themselves to danger.
⚠️ Why It Still Matters
We continue to see late-stage mesothelioma diagnoses in women who never worked outside the home.
They were caregivers, mothers, and daughters.
And no one told them the dust in the laundry basket could be lethal.
Some families are only now learning that cancer diagnosed in 2024 was caused by exposure that started 30 or 40 years ago.
🏭 Common Job Sites Linked to Take-Home Exposure
- Weirton Steel
- Bethlehem Steel
- Clairton Coke Works
- Duquesne Light
- PPG Natrium
- U.S. Navy shipyards (for family members of veterans)
If someone in your home worked in one of these jobs — and another family member later developed cancer — you may still have a valid legal claim.
⚖️ Legal Help for Asbestos Cancer from Work Clothes
If someone in your family was diagnosed with mesothelioma, lung cancer, or asbestosis, and you believe they were exposed at home, we can help investigate.
📞 Call Lee W. Davis at (412) 781-0525
🔗 Or read more at leewdavis.com/take-home-asbestos-cases
The exposure may have started decades ago.
That doesn’t mean it’s too late.