Individuals who work on and around the railroads may be exposed to chemicals like Benzene, a known carcinogen, as well as asbestos and may be at risk to develop railroad cancer.

While employed by the railroads, workers can be exposed to benzene by breathing in diesel fumes or through skin contact as benzene is also found in industrial solvents used to degrease locomotives.

Benzene is toxic both if inhaled or if it is absorbed through the skin.

Railroad Cancer Linked to Benzene

Benzene, often created by burning diesel fuel, is widely recognized as a dangerous chemical that is known to cause health problems, including cancer.

The more common types of railroad cancer associated with benzene are lung cancer, Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML), myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS), and Lymphoma.

Benzene has also been liked with other cancers like bladder cancer, colon cancer, esophageal cancer, kidney cancer, laryngeal cancer, rectal cancer, stomach cancer and throat cancer.

Often workers have been exposed for years to benzene without realizing that it is a carcinogen and can cause railroad cancer. By then, the cancer might be too advanced to treat successfully.

Both the Environmental Protection Agency as well as the Department of Health and Human Services have named benzene as a known carcinogen.

Asbestos May Cause Railroad Cancer

Benzene is not the only way that railroad workers may develop types of railroad cancer. Asbestos, a naturally occurring mineral, may also affect railroad workers.

Asbestos is a confirmed carcinogen when it is disturbed and then inhaled into the lungs. Over time, the tiny asbestos fibers cause inflammation, cannot be exhaled and may cause cancer cells to grow.

Since the 1980s, asbestos use has been limited, however many locomotive parts that were manufactured before the 1980s are still in use today. Even though asbestos use began to decline in the 1970s, railroads continued to use it in products and parts.

Some claim that in the 1970s and 1980s, railroads knew about asbestos hazards and failed to warn workers. Today, workers are still at risk of developing railroad cancer caused by asbestos if their companies are utilizing locomotive parts manufactured before the 1980s.

Railroad workers can be exposed to asbestos in three ways:

• Insulation: In the past, asbestos has been used on steam locomotives and diesel locomotives. It can be used to insulate boilers, the engine, under the body of the train, ceilings, electrical panels and other places.
• Railroad equipment: Asbestos has been used in cement ties, gaskets, wallboards, plaster and sealing cement.
• Locomotive parts: The mineral an be found in brake pads, brake linings, clutches, ceiling tiles and floor tiles of passenger cars.

For railroad workers, railroad cancer is a real risk and those who are exposed to either benzene or asbestos while working for the railroad and have suffered injury may be entitled to legal compensation.