Railroad workers assume that they will be subject to certain on-the-job hazards, but they may not be aware that they can develop cancer from benzene exposure.

Benzene is a chemical that is found most commonly when diesel fuel is burned. In the railroad yards, railroad workers are exposed to this as they inhale burned diesel fuel.

It is used as a beginning material when making other chemicals such as pesticides, certain drugs, detergents, rubbers, dyes, plastics and lubricants. It has also been used a gasoline additive and as a solvent.

Even though benzene use in solvents has been reduced in recent decades, at times, in the railroad yards, benzene is still found in solvents. Benzene is also found in crude oil and cigarette smoke.

Cancer from benzene exposure from solvents can occur when railroad workers come into contact with it via their skin. Cancer from benzene exposure from diesel fuel can occur when railroad workers inhale it.

Incidentally, benzene is also found naturally as a result of forest fires and volcanic eruptions.

Besides lung cancer, the types of cancer from benzene exposure are numerous. They include:

• Bladder cancer
• Colon cancer
• Esophageal cancer
• Hodgkin’s Lymphoma
• Kidney cancer
• Multiple Myeloma
• Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma
• Laryngeal cancer
• Rectal cancer
• Stomach cancer
• Throat cancer
• Leukemia

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) limits benzene exposure in the air in the workplace. It is limited to 1 part per million during a regular workday and at the maximum, 5 parts per million over a 15 minute period. If a worker is exposed to higher levels than this, OSHA requires personal protective gear to be provided for employees.

The benzene in gasoline is limited by Environmental Protection Agency to 0.62% by volume and in drinking water, it is limited to 5 parts per billion.

Cancer from benzene exposure is not the only hazard that railroad workers face. Other solvents may cause chronic encephalopathy and other serious brain disorders.

The Federal Employers Liability Act, or FELA, is a federal law that protects railroad workers. It also provides the means for compensation if a railroad worker is injured as a result of his or her job, such as developing cancer from benzene exposure.

If a railroad company violates FELA by not providing a safe work environment, cancer from benzene exposure may occur.

If you or someone you love is a railroad worker that has developed cancer, it may not be as a result of heredity or other environmental factors. It may be cancer from benzene exposure on the job. You may be entitled to legal compensation and under FELA, this type of lawsuit does not require you to provide out-of-pocket costs.