Worker advocates are warning against an alarming link between railroad workers and cancer, with the occupation causing people to be exposed to dangerous substances on a regular basis.

Railroad workers and cancer became highly associated through numerous diagnoses indicating a correlation with the railroad industry, along with several studies that found workers were regularly exposed to toxic materials like benzene and asbestos.

The danger of these substances has become widely publicized in recent years, with investigators looking into potential claims under the Federal Employers Liability Act (FELA). Affected railroad workers may have claims against the railroad company for failing to warn them about the troubling correlation between railroad workers and cancer.

FELA lawsuits can be filed by railroad workers who were diagnosed with cancer that may have been caused by regular exposure to toxic substances like asbestos, benzene and other carcinogens.

Overview of Railroad Workers and Cancer

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) warned in the 1970s that asbestos in the construction materials used in the railroad industry could pose serious health risks to workers. Asbestos was popularly used for its fire and chemical resistant qualities before the 1980s for a variety of construction and industrial purposes.

It was especially used in the railroad industry for various parts of the locomotive and was often utilized for insulation piping for decades, from the 1930s to the 1970s. Asbestos exposure is still a significant risk in the railroad industry, especially for any components manufactured before the 1980s.

Diesel exhaust is also a significant issue when discussing railroad workers and cancer, because this chemical exhaust produces a dangerous substance called benzene. Benzene is a highly dangerous substance that is no longer utilized in consumer products in the U.S., but is still often used to degrease locomotives.

Benzene can be absorbed through the skin or inhaled and has been linked to serious cases of railroad worker cancer. One study observed 55,000 railroad workers between 1959 to 1996, and found a 40 percent increased risk of lung cancer in train operator employees.

Railroad workers also have to worry about the risk of radioactivity in some of the materials transported, such as materials transported to and from nuclear weapons facilities. These nuclear weapons plants often contained highly dangerous radioactive materials to build nuclear weapons and transported them cross country, which further increases the association between railroad workers and cancer.

There have been different cancers linked to the railroad industry over the years including:

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

Railroad workers who develop cancers may be eligible to file a FELA lawsuit against the railroad companies for failing to warn them or protect them against the risk. Under federal law, railroad companies are required to provide a safe work environment for their employees and warn against potential job hazards.

Under a FELA lawsuit, companies can be held liable for failing to warn their employees against potential health problems. Railroad workers and cancer have been most commonly reported in occupations such as engineers, conductors, switchmen, machinists and track maintenance workers.