[breadcrumb]
How Can a Fitter Get Mesothelioma by Occupational Exposure to Asbestos?
Fitters work on ships to ensure that the necessary repair work on the vessel is performed properly and in an efficient manner. This job typically requires the fitter to fit parts as needed and to maintain the basic structure and design of the ship when building and recreating it.
There are different types of fitters who work on ships and different ways that they may have been exposed to asbestos. The two main types of fitters are deck fitters and engine fitters. Deck fitters repair and fit damaged ship parts on the ship decks. They also conduct necessary repairs and maintain the ship on a routine basis. Asbestos was commonly used in flooring materials, including those used to line decks on ships. As workers scraped these materials, they could disturb asbestos so that fibers became airborne and they breathed them in. When these fibers enter the body and cling to the lining of the lungs and other organs, the worker can develop mesothelioma as the tissue scars over.
Engine fitters are responsible for properly fitting the engine. They may work with other electrical parts to ensure the electrical system can handle the engine. Engine fitters may build the engine or restore it. Together, deck fitters and engine fitters help maintain the structural integrity of the ship. They may work on the ship’s power and propulsion systems. These workers may have been exposed to asbestos when installing, repairing or removing parts that contained asbestos. This material is strong, durable, and versatile, so it was used in many applications, including as insulation, in gaskets and valves and in other components of vessels and vehicles.
Locations in the United States for the Highest Employment Rates for Fitters
Shipfitters are categorized under the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics listing of “Layout Workers, Metal and Plastic,” which consists of 8,550 workers across the United States. States with the highest employment rates for this classification include:
- California
- Alabama
- Washington
- Virginia
- Kansas
Similar Occupations as Fitters
Similar occupations as fitters include:
- Aircraft and avionics equipment mechanics technicians
- Automotive body and glass repairers
- Automotive service technicians and mechanics
- Diesel engine specialists
- Engine fitters
- Heavy vehicle and mobile equipment service technicians
- Locomotive engineers
- Small engine mechanics
Lawsuits and Settlements Involving Engine Fitters and Mesothelioma
There have been a few cases involving shipfitters who have received sizable verdicts or settlements after taking legal action against those responsible for their asbestos exposure. For example, the family of a former Navy ship fitter who died from mesothelioma was awarded a verdict of $20 million. The man had served in the Navy during the Vietnam War. He worked as a pipe fitter and ship fitter during his military career and then in the Brooklyn Navy Yard in New York. He worked with boiler makers when they removed asbestos insulation from boilers, which exposed him to asbestos. He was diagnosed with pleural mesothelioma in 2012 and died shortly thereafter. The jury found that the manufacturer acted with reckless disregard for his safety.
A Philadelphia jury awarded the family and estate of a former shipfitter over $7 million, finding that the asbestos-containing products manufactured by nine of the defendants were a substantial factor in him developing mesothelioma and resulting in his death.
In another case, an apprentice marine engine fitter who was exposed to asbestos between 1954 to 1959 and diagnosed with mesothelioma at the age of 76. He filed a lawsuit against the parent company of Humber St. Andrew’s Engineering Company, Ltd. Where he came into contact with asbestos when replacing brake linings on steam winches, working in engine rooms and coming into contact with asbestos insulation. In 2015, the man accepted a six-figure settlement from the company.
Studies Related to Engine Fitters and Asbestos
The U.S. National Institutes of Health conducted a study entitled “Asbestos and Ship-Building Fatal Consequences.” Its researchers concluded that shipfitters were 16 times more likely to diagnose with an asbestos-related illness, compared to people from other occupations.
Types of Asbestos Products Used by Fitters
Until the mid-70s, the U.S. Navy authorized the use of more than 300 products that contained asbestos to repair and construct ships. Often, asbestos-containing materials were installed in locations near high temperatures or where corrosion was possibly, which is virtually anywhere on a ship. Asbestos products that fitters may have been exposed to include:
- Gaskets
- Valves
- Adhesives
- Pipe covering
- Sealants
- Packing materials
- Engine room materials
- Metal sheets
- Boiler insulation
- Deck materials
- Ship interior insulation
- Cement that held gaskets together
- Paint
Asbestos was also found in many of the crates and pallets used by shipyards.
Manufacturers of Asbestos Products Used by Fitters
Some of the companies that produced asbestos that fitters may have come into contact with include:
- 3M
- Aurora Pump Company
- Bath Iron Works
- Bechtel Corporation
- Boise Cascade Corporation
- Buffalo Pumps, Inc.
- CertainTeed Corporation
- Crown, Cork & Seal Company
- Electric Boat Corporation
- Fisher Scientific Company
- Foster Wheeler Corporation
- Gardner Denver, Inc.
- Georgia Pacific Corporation
- Gould’s Pumps, Incorporation
- John Crane Company
- Metalclad Insulation
- Milwaukee Valve Company
- Owens-Corning Fiberglass Corp.
- Owens-Illinois, Inc.
- Viking Pump, Inc.
- Warren Pumps, Inc.
- Westinghouse Electric Corp
- Worthington Corp.
