Operating Engineers
Union locals: IUOE Local 513 (St. Louis) · Local 101 (KC)
How Operating Engineers Were Exposed to Asbestos
During normal duties, Operating Engineers were routinely exposed to asbestos-containing materials in Missouri industrial, commercial, and public construction work from the 1930s through the 1980s. Documented exposure pathways drawn from public litigation records and industrial hygiene literature include:
- Operating stationary boilers and steam plants insulated with asbestos
- Maintaining heavy equipment with asbestos brake linings and clutches
- Repacking valves and replacing gaskets on plant utilities
- Working in boiler rooms and engine rooms alongside insulators
- Crane and hoist work in industrial buildings during construction
Why This Matters for Missouri Workers
If you worked as a operating engineers in Missouri during the asbestos era and have been diagnosed with mesothelioma, asbestosis, lung cancer, or pleural disease, you may have a legal claim — even if your employer is no longer in business. Many asbestos product manufacturers have established bankruptcy trust funds that continue to pay qualified claimants based on documented exposure history.
Missouri Filing Deadlines — Two Separate Clocks
Missouri keeps the personal-injury clock (Mo. Rev. Stat. § 516.120 — 5 years from diagnosis) and the wrongful-death clock (Mo. Rev. Stat. § 537.100 — 3 years from date of death) on separate, independent tracks. Preserving one does not extend the other. An experienced Missouri asbestos attorney can keep both options open as your situation evolves.
Talk to an Experienced Missouri Asbestos Attorney
A free, confidential consultation with O’Brien Law Firm in St. Louis can evaluate your specific exposure history and filing-deadline situation. No fee unless they recover compensation.
☎ (314) 588-0558