Occupations with the highest risk of mesothelioma for males include: metal plate workers (including shipyard workers), vehicle body builders (including rail vehicles), plumbers and gas fitters, carpenters and electricians. The industry groups with the highest incidence rates are construction (including insulation and asbestos removal workers) and extraction, energy and water supply.

Mesothelioma is a form of cancer which principally affects the lining of the lungs (pleura) and lower digestive tract (peritoneum). The typically long delay between first exposure to asbestos and death from mesothelioma (seldom less than 15 years, but possibly as long as 60 years) means that deaths occurring now and most of those expected to occur in the future reflect industrial conditions of the past rather than current work practices. This latency period means that the effectiveness of current controls cannot yet be assessed from the mesothelioma mortality figures.