Louisiana Electricians and Mesothelioma
Asbestos is a durable and heat-resistant material often used to insulate electrical wires, control boards, and electrical boxes in homes, office buildings, and manufacturing plants to protect them from fire damage. It’s also a known carcinogen, and inhaling asbestos fibers can cause diseases like mesothelioma, lung cancer, and asbestosis. Despite knowing the risks of asbestos, manufacturers put profits over public health and continued producing and selling products containing the mineral throughout the 20th century.
Last Updated:
- July 7, 2025
Electricians are among the most at-risk union workers for asbestos exposure, which can lead to the development of mesothelioma. From the 1930s to the 1980s, most projects involving electrical work and wiring used asbestos, exposing electricians and other workers to toxic fibers that lingered in their bodies for decades. Despite the drop in asbestos use for new construction projects, legacy asbestos remains a concern for electricians due to decaying asbestos around electrical wiring in oil refineries, chemical plants, power plants, virtually all industrial settings, and older homes during remodeling.
Key Facts About Electricians
Asbestos Exposure Risk:
High
Causes of Exposure:
Working with asbestos products or around other tradespeople using such materials
Asbestos Products:
Insulation inside of wiring and heavy electrical cables
Job Sites:
Oil refineries, chemical plants, power plants, paper mills, and more
Local Branches:
IBEW Local 130 (Metairie) IBEW Local 995 (Baton Rouge) IBEW Local 861 (Lake Charles) IBEW Local 576 (Alexandria)
Compensation Available:
Yes, if you have been diagnosed with mesothelioma, lung cancer, colon cancer, or asbestosis.
How Were Electricians Exposed to Asbestos?
Electricians were exposed to asbestos on the job by working directly with asbestos-containing wire and cabling. However, they also worked around other tradespeople who used asbestos products, including pipe insulation, block insulation, asbestos insulation cement, spray fireproofing and soundproofing, joint compounds, and countless other asbestos-containing products. Electricians often worked closely with other trades, including insulators, pipefitters, millwrights, machinists, carpenters, drywallers, and many others. These other tradespeople would expose electricians, especially when installing and tearing out asbestos insulation.
- Our Sponsor, Baron & Budd, P.C.
The Role of Asbestos in Electrical Work
Electrical work involved asbestos because nearly everything at industrial facilities works off electricity. High voltages generate significant heat, necessitating asbestos insulation within and around wires to prevent electrical fires. Asbestos was also cheap, lightweight, and easy to produce, making it an even more desirable component in construction materials. Any job involving the maintenance and repair of electrical wiring and infrastructure puts electricians at risk, even if the exposure is limited or short-term.
Asbestos Products Electricians Worked With and Around
The main asbestos products used by electricians were wires and cables, as well as the insulation surrounding them. Additional examples of asbestos-containing materials that electricians may have used or come into contact with during their work include:
- Arc chutes
- Asbestos paper
- Boilers
- Duct insulation
- Cables and wires
- Circuit breakers
- Electric boards and panels
- Pipe and block insulation
- Valve packing material
- Wire insulation
Did You Know?
The insulation you see when stripping the plastic coating off the wire for a connection was nothing more than asbestos.
Manufacturing Companies of Asbestos-Containing Products
If you were an electrician in Louisiana who developed an illness from asbestos exposure, multiple parties could be liable. In Louisiana, some of these manufacturers include the following:
- Anaconda Corp.
- Dossert Wire & Cable
- General Electric Wire & Cable
- Hobart Wire & Cable
- Johns-Manville Wire & Cable
- Okonite Wire & Cable
- Phelps Dodge Wire & Cable
- Rockbestos Wire & Cable
- Thermo Electric Wire & Cable
- USS Tiger Brand Wire & Cable
- US Steel Wire & Cable
- Westinghouse
Questions About Mesothelioma?
Many electricians are uncertain about what steps to take after receiving a mesothelioma diagnosis.
Which Job Sites in Louisiana Exposed Electricians to Asbestos?
The most common asbestos job sites in Louisiana that exposed electricians to the deadly mineral were power plants, oil refineries, chemical plants, paper mills, and fertilizer plants. Some job sites specifically proven to have used asbestos-containing materials and exposed workers include the following:
- International Paper in Bogalusa
- ExxonMobil Refinery in Baton Rouge
- ExxonMobil Chemical Plant in Baton Rouge
- Allied Chemical Plant in Baton Rouge
- Willow Glen Power Plant in St. Gabriel
- Chalmette Refining in Chalmette
- Shell Chemical Plant in Norco
- Entergy Power Plants throughout Louisiana
- Dow Chemical Plant in Plaquemine
- Monsanto Chemical Plant in Luling
- DuPont Chemical Plant in LaPlace
- BASF Chemical Plant in Geismar
Electricians were also often exposed to asbestos in schools, hospitals, churches, and commercial buildings. If a property was built or renovated before the 1990s, it’s likely to contain some form of asbestos material.
Support From Louisiana’s Local Unions
The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers is a trade union for electricians in the U.S. and Canada, representing more than 800,000 active union workers and retirees in various fields, including utilities, construction, telecommunications, broadcasting, manufacturing, railroads, and government. The union has four local lodges in Louisiana:
Electrician Unions and Locals in Louisiana Include:
- IBEW Local 130 – Metairie, LA
- IBEW Local 995 – Baton Rouge, LA
- IBEW Local 861 – Lake Charles, LA
- IBEW Local 576 – Alexandria, LA
Local unions support Louisiana electricians with mesothelioma by providing educational materials and having law firms like our sponsor, Baron & Budd, P.C., speak to the membership about possible exposures and how to avoid them.
If you have any questions, please contact the office of the AFL-CIO of Louisiana for assistance.
Our Sponsor
Baron & Budd, P.C. is an officially endorsed provider and Occupational Disease Counsel for the AFL-CIO of Louisiana and all Affiliated Local Unions. The firm’s members have cultivated long-standing friendships and business relationships with the Local leadership and members. They are frequently invited to present information on mesothelioma, lung cancer, and asbestos exposures to the Retiree Clubs and active members.
Compensation for Electricians with Mesothelioma in Louisiana
Compensation may be available for Louisiana electricians exposed to asbestos and diagnosed with mesothelioma or other asbestos-related diseases. Seeking compensation can help victims cover medical expenses and treatment costs, recover lost wages, and more.
1) Mesothelioma Lawsuits: You and your family may be able to file a mesothelioma lawsuit against the parties responsible, including the manufacturers, employers, and jobsite owners.
2) Asbestos Trust Funds: Many asbestos products manufacturers set up trust funds to compensate present and future asbestos victims. These asbestos trust fundss total a combined value of approximately $30 billion.
Mesothelioma Settlements and Verdicts for Electricians
Mesothelioma and lung cancer patients can recover anywhere from $500,000 to $10 million in compensation. Results may vary.
Here are some noteworthy recoveries won by our sponsor, Baron & Budd, P.C., for electricians with mesothelioma in Louisiana.
$5.95M Verdict for an Electrician Employed by Dow Chemical Plant
Our sponsor recovered nearly $6 million for a native Louisianan after finding Dow Chemical responsible for his mesothelioma, a rare cancer caused by exposure to asbestos. The client was exposed to asbestos while working as an electrician at the Dow Chemical Plaquemine facility, the largest chemical plant in Louisiana.
Over $2M Received by Electrician Diagnosed with Mesothelioma
Our sponsor recovered more than $2.1 million for a career electrician and journeyman who was diagnosed with mesothelioma at 58. The lawsuit quickly proceeded through the legal system, with all defendants ultimately resolving the claims against them. Further compensation was received from various asbestos bankruptcy trusts.
Results are not guaranteed and vary.
Order Your Free Mesothelioma Book
Contact Louisiana Mesothelioma Advocates
If you or a loved one worked as an electrician and developed mesothelioma from asbestos exposure, Louisiana Mesothelioma Advocates can help. We’ll listen to your story and connect you with our sponsor, Baron & Budd, P.C., who can recommend the best mesothelioma physicians and potentially help you pursue compensation. We encourage people not to delay.
Content Reviewed by
Todd Kale
Todd Kale meets with mesothelioma patients and their families across Louisiana to investigate their asbestos exposure, providing compassionate support and guidance during a difficult time.
Jump to a topic
- How Were Electricians Exposed to Asbestos?
- Asbestos Products Used Around Electricians
- Louisiana Job Sites that Exposed Electricians
- Local Union Support for Electricians in Louisiana
- What Compensation May Be Available for Electricians?
- Mesothelioma Settlements & Verdicts for Electricians
- Contact Louisiana Mesothelioma Advocates