Working on a railroad presents workers with a particular set of occupational hazards. Due to the unique nature of some of the equipment used on railroads, there’s a whole list of possible workplace hazards that workers can be exposed to.
A recent study suggests that exposure to an electromagnetic field and cancer should be added to that list.
Researchers in that study took a closer look at the health effects connected to the electronics systems inside the cabs of locomotives. These cabs are decked out with a variety of electronics like radios, gauges, computers and electric motors.
All these electronic devices generate a chronic electromagnetic field. Engineers who work in these cabs sometimes spend long hours on the job, exposed to these electromagnetic fields the whole time.
Finding the Link Between Electromagnetic Field and Cancer
In the study, researchers from the University of Berne looked for a link between exposure to this electromagnetic field and cancer. They analyzed data from over 30 years worth of medical records of over 20,000 former railroad workers.
The researchers concluded that train drivers had a much higher instance of two specific types of cancer than did other railway workers. They found that drivers were five times more likely than other railroad workers to develop myeloid leukemia and three times more likely to develop Hodgkin’s lymphoma.
These cases of cancer could be explained by a link between expoure to an electromagnetic field and cancer, according to the researchers. Drivers tend to spend much more time than other railway workers in the train’s cab, surrounded by and in close proximity to electronics that constantly create electromagnetic fields.
The researchers noted that train passengers do not face the same risk associated with the electromagnetic field and cancer. Compared to those workers, they concluded, passengers’ exposure levels are negligible.
Seeking Compensation Through a FELA Lawsuit
Railroad workers who develop an illness that can be traced to some aspect of their rail career may be able to seek compensation under the Federal Employers Liability Act, or FELA.
FELA provides a legal framework for compensation that is specific to sick and injured railroad workers. In that respect, a FELA claim serves a similar purpose as state law-based workers compensation.
Compensation mechanisms like FELA are often thought of as a means for compensating on-the-job injuries. But under FELA, workers can also get compensation for illnesses, even as serious as cancer, that develop as a result of their work.
Electromagnetic fields are not the only way railroad workers may be exposed to a heightened risk of cancer. Carcinogenic chemicals like benzene are present in the diesel exhaust from locomotives and also in some of the materials like creosote used in railroad construction and maintenance.
Continuous exposure to these carcinogens over the course of a long career can leave a railroad worker at a heightened risk of developing cancer.
When a person develops cancer following years of railroad work, the connection between the disease and their job may not be immediately apparent. Claims under FELA can involve complicated medical evidence and legal technicalities.
But with the help of a knowledgeable FELA attorney, affected workers may be able to get through the red tape to get the compensation they’re entitled to.
Obtain a Free Railroad Injury Case Evaluation
If you or a loved one suffered a railroad injury on the job, you may be eligible to take legal action against the employer and seek compensation for your injuries.
