Occupational asbestos exposure was and is the most common way to be exposed to asbestos and then to develop an asbestos-related disease.  Construction, shipyard and automotive workers are just a few of the professionals who were at risk of coming into contact with asbestos.  Many of these same workers are still at risk in countries that don't have strict asbestos laws.  Also, workers in the United States may have been exposed many years ago, before companies protected their workers.  Because mesothelioma can take thirty to fifty years to develop, such workers may still be at risk.