Companies that expose their workers to beryllium are not limited to atomic and nuclear industries. Space, aeronautics, computers and electronics industries also risk their workers to developing an acute and chronic lung disease called berylliosis.
Primary exposure
A small dose of beryllium can be found in beryllium compounds and alloys in workplaces involving grinders, hot press operators, welders and machinists and even dental technicians. This is referred to as primary exposure and poses a serious threat to the workers’ health.
Secondary exposure
Secondary exposure may be in the form of coworkers and maintenance staff in the same workplace where they can inhale beryllium dust, fumes and gases. When workers go home, their family members are equally at risk.
List of workplaces with beryllium
Private plants in different states in America subject the neighborhood to higher beryllium contents. The problem becomes a national issue with the Department of Energy and government facilities that use beryllium are found throughout the United States.
The amended Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Act of 2000 has listed the following covered facilities and defined them as “beryllium vendors”:
- Atomics International
- Brush Wellman, Incorporated, and its predecessor, Brush Beryllium Company.
- General Atomics
- General Electric Company
- NGK Metals Corporation and its predecessors, Kawecki-Berylco, Cabot Corporation, BerylCo, and Beryllium Corporation of America.
- Nuclear Materials and Equipment Corporation
- StarMet Corporation, and its predecessor, Nuclear Metals, Incorporated
- Wyman Gordan, Incorporated
In addition, here is a list of plants across the United States with possible risk of exposure to beryllium. The list, updated and arranged by state is simply for reference and not meant to be inclusive:
Arizona
Brush Wellman Inc., Tucson
California
ASTECH‚ a division of TRE Corporation‚ Santa Ana
Ceradyne Inc.‚ Santa Ana
General Atomics‚ La Jolla
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory‚ Livermore
Lockheed Martin‚ San Jose
Colorado
Coors Porcelain‚ Golden
Rocky Flats Plant‚ Denver
University of Denver Research Institute‚ Denver
Illinois
Fansteel Metallurgical Corp.‚ North Chicago
Olin/Blockson Chemical‚ Joliet
Olin Brass‚ East Alton
Massachusetts
Brush Wellman Inc.‚ Newburyport
Franklin Institute‚ Boston
Massachusetts Institute of Technology‚ Cambridge
Norton Co.‚ Worcester
Nuclear Metals‚ Inc.‚ Concord or Starmet Corporation
Wyman Gordon‚ Inc.‚ Brayton‚ North Grafton
Michigan
Getty-Michigan Corp.‚ Adrian
Speed Ring Experimental & Tool Company
Missouri
Kansas City Plant‚ Kansas City
New Mexico
Los Alamos National Laboratories‚ Los Alamos
New Jersey
National Beryllia‚ Haskell
U.S. Pipe and Foundry‚ Burlington
New York
Burns & Roe‚ Inc.‚ Maspeth
General Astrometals‚ Yonkers
Trudeau Foundation‚ Saranac Lake
North Carolina
Beryllium Metals and Chemical Corp.‚ Bessemer City
University of North Carolina‚ Chapel Hill
Ohio
Battelie Memorial Institute‚ Columbus
Beryllium Production Plant (Brush)‚ Luckey
Brush Wellman Inc.‚ Cleveland and Elmore
Clifton Products Co.‚ Clifton and Painesville
General Electric Company‚ Cincinnati and Evendale
Kettering Laboratory‚ University of Cincinnati‚ Cincinnati
Pennsylvania
Beryllium Corp. of America‚ Hazleton and Reading
Brush Wellman Inc.‚ Reading
Cabot Corporation‚ Hazleton
McDaniel Refractory Co.‚ Beaver Falls
NGK Metals Corporation‚ Reading
Vitro Manufacturing‚ Cannonsburg
Tennessee
NGK Metals Corporation‚ Sweetwater
Y-12 Plant‚ Oak Rridge
Utah
Brush Wellman Inc.‚ Delta
Washington
Boeing‚ Seattle
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory‚ Hanford‚ Washington
Wisconsin
Ladish Co.‚ Cudahy