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How Can a Heat and Frost Insulator Get Mesothelioma by Occupational Exposure to Asbestos?
Heat and frost insulators installed insulation around pipes and in air conditioning, heating and ventilation systems in homes, offices, factories, ships and other buildings and structures. This insulation often contained asbestos, which was an excellent insulator and resistant to heat and chemical reactions. Insulators would handle these asbestos-containing materials on a daily basis, where they could potentially breathe in toxic asbestos fibers.
Typical job duties of heat and frost insulators include:
- Measure and cut insulation to cover surfaces
- Use hand tools to cut insulation to the right fit
- Remove or seal off old insulation
- Fit insulation around obstructions
- Install insulation around pipes
- Repair insulation
- Select the appropriate type of insulation material
Locations in the United States for the Highest Employment Rates for Heat and Frost Insulation Workers
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, there are currently more than 24,610 mechanical insulation workers employed in the United States. States with the highest employment rates for mechanical insulation workers include:
- Texas
- Louisiana
- Virginia
- Colorado
- California
Similar Occupations as Heat and Frost Insulators
Similar occupations as construction insulators include the following:
- Boilermakers
- Carpenters
- Construction workers and laborers
- Drywall and ceiling tile installers and tapers
- Electricians
- Hazardous materials removal workers
- HVAC workers
- Masonry workers
- Plasterers
- Roofers
- Sheet metal workers
- Stucco masons
Lawsuits and Settlements Involving Insulators and Mesothelioma
A number of lawsuits have been filed against manufacturers of asbestos-containing insulation that have resulted in sizeable victories to insulators and their families. For example, a New York Supreme Court jury awarded $12.5 million to the families of an electrician, steamfitter and insulator in 2014 after they developed mesothelioma after working with asbestos-contaminated materials. The insulator was a member of the Heat and Frost Insulators Local 12 Union and worked in the 1950s and 1960s in this role. His estate was awarded $3.5 million.
In 2017, a Massachusetts jury awarded $6.8 million against New England Insulation to the family of a former part-time insulator who was exposed to asbestos. In another case, $3.5 million was awarded to the estate of a man who worked from 1963 to 1966 with Kaylo insulation products in 1996. A California jury awarded more than $27 million in a secondhand asbestos exposure case. The woman had laundered her husband’s clothes for years. He worked at Owens-Illinois, a leading manufacturer of asbestos insulation. When the wife shook off his clothing and laundered the clothes, she breathed in the asbestos fibers that he brought home.
One of the earliest asbestos lawsuits was against a leading asbestos manufacturer, Johns Manville Products Corp. The plaintiff installed asbestos insulation from 1948 until 1966 during which time he was exposed to asbestos dust. He was later diagnosed with asbestosis. He was awarded $200,000.
Studies Related to Insulators and Asbestos
A few scientific studies have explored the connection regarding asbestos insulation and health hazards, such as a study published in the British Journal of Industrial Medicine. Researchers in this study reviewed medical records of 162 male insulators who worked in Belfast in 1940. Researchers found that there were a significant number of deaths in this population caused by asbestos-related diseases like mesothelioma and lung cancer.
A leading researcher found insulation workers suffered a significant increase in asbestos-related illnesses. He later noted in 1990 a significant decline in fatalities related to insulators due to the reduction in asbestos exposure of this group.
A 2016 Swedish study published in Epidemiology and Health found the rate of pleural mesothelioma for insulation workers was 10 times higher than the rate of those in other industries.
Types of Asbestos Products Used by Heat and Frost Insulators
The insulation that these workers came in contact with often contained asbestos. Additionally, heating, air conditioning and ventilation systems in attics were often insulated with asbestos. Pipe insulation often contained asbestos. This type of insulation is one of the most common ways for workers today to be exposed to asbestos.
Heat and frost insulators may have also worked around a variety of products that contained asbestos that were exposed during this phase in construction, such as:
- Block insulation
- Loose fill insulation
- Spray-applied insulation
- Concrete
- Plaster
- Drywall
- Joint compound
- Mortar
- Paint
- Adhesives
- Sealants
- Paneling
- Cables
- Gaskets
- Valves
Manufacturers of Asbestos Products Used by Heat and Frost Insulators
Manufacturers of products that contained asbestos that heat and frost insulators may have used or come in contact with include:
- A C & S
- P. Green Industries
- Armstrong Contracting and Supply
- E. Thurston & Sons
- Celotex
- CertainTeed Corporation
- Combustion Engineering
- Crown Cork and Seal
- EaglePicher
- Ehret Magnesia
- Thurston & Sons
- Ehret Magnesia
- GAF Corporation
- Garlock
- Johns Manville
- Kaiser Aluminum
- Keasbey & Mattison
- National Gypsum Company
- Nicolet
- Owens Corning
- Owens-Illinois
- Pacor Incorporated
- Pittsburgh Corning
- Rock Wool Manufacturing
- Shook & Fletcher
- The Flintkote Company
- UNARCO
- Western MacArthur
- R. Grace & Co.
