[breadcrumb]
How Can an Insulator Get Mesothelioma by Occupational Exposure to Asbestos?
Insulators were at a high risk of being exposed to asbestos because the materials that they directly worked with often contained asbestos. Insulators’ typical job duties included removing and disposing of old insulation. They measured and cut insulation to fit into walls and ceilings and to insulate pipes and industrial equipment. They would then install this insulation.
Much of this insulation contained asbestos, which was resistant to heat and electricity and had strong insulating materials, so commonly that insulators were once called “asbestos workers.” Asbestos was included in a variety of insulation products, including loose-fill asbestos insulation, which is poured onto attic floors or blown inside walls and other building structures. Once this insulation was slightly disturbed, it would send asbestos fibers into the air, which insulators and other professionals would breathe in. Asbestos insulation was used to control heat loss or gain. It was efficient in reducing heat transfer, did not conduct electricity and was non-corrosive, making it appear ideal as an insulator. It was also inexpensive and versatile.
Additionally, asbestos insulation was used to wrap pipes, ducts and HVAC components in older buildings. Mechanical insulators often applied insulation to equipment, pipes or ductwork. Asbestos insulation jackets that wrapped pipes often contained asbestos fibers. Through normal wear and tear, these jackets could emit microscopic fibers that could be inhaled by insulation workers. Insulation workers often worked in confined spaces with poor ventilation, so once asbestos fibers became dislodged, they would stay in the air where insulation workers and others could breathe them in.
Insulation workers often worked in areas where other asbestos-containing products were contained, such as in industrial environments, shipyards and construction projects. Some of the locations where insulators worked and installed asbestos-containing insulation include:
- Aeronautic industries
- Schools
- Hospitals
- Paper mills
- Oil refineries
- Chemical plants
- Boiler rooms
Locations in the United States for the Highest Employment Rates for 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 Insulators
Similar occupations as insulators include the following:
- Boilermakers
- Carpenters
- Construction workers and laborers
- Drywall and ceiling tile installers and tapers
- Hazardous materials removal workers
- Masonry workers
- Roofers
Lawsuits and Settlements Involving Insulators and Mesothelioma
There have been several significant legal awards provided to insulators and their families after they were adversely affected by asbestos-containing products. In 2017, a Massachusetts jury awarded $6.8 million to the family of a man who was exposed to asbestos while working part-time as an insulator during his youth. The jury found New England Insulation legally responsible for the death.
A 1996 verdict of approximately $3.5 million was awarded to the estate of a man who worked from 1963 to 1966 while he worked with the company’s Kaylo insulation product. In 2009, a jury awarded $6 million to a former machinist mate who worked with asbestos-containing insulation jackets.
A California jury awarded $27,342,500 to the wife of a former insulator who was exposed to asbestos while laundering her husband’s work clothing. He worked for, Owens-Illinois, a leading manufacturer of asbestos insultation from 1950 to 1958. The jury found that the defendant was negligent and failed to adequately warn consumers about the dangers of their asbestos-containing materials and fraudulently concealed their health hazards. The award included $11 million in punitive damages.
Studies Related to Insulators and Asbestos
A few scientific studies have explored the connection between insulation and asbestos, including a study published in the British Journal of Industrial Medicine that found that was a marked number of deaths among insulators of asbestos-related diseases. A 2016 study published in Epidemiology and Health found that the rate of pleural mesothelioma for insulators was more than 10 times greater than the rate of those in other industries.
Similarly, researchers who published a study in the Environmental Health Perspectives found that insulators at a Navy shipyard had a higher lung cancer mortality rate than other workers.
Types of Asbestos Products Used by Insulators
Some of the most potent asbestos-containing materials that insulators may have come in contact with include the following:
- Adhesives and sealants
- Block insulation
- Cement
- Drywall
- Electrical panels
- Flooring materials
- Insulation wrappings
- Loose-fill insulation
- Paint
- Plaster
- Roofing materials
- Spray-on insulation
Manufacturers of Asbestos Products Used by Insulators
Manufacturers of insulation that contained asbestos include the following:
- P. Green Industries
- Armstrong Contracting and Supply
- Celotex
- CertainTeed Corporation
- Combustion Engineering
- Crown Cork and Seal
- Thurston & Sons
- EaglePicher
- Ehret Magnesia
- GAF Corporation
- Johns Manville
- Kaiser Aluminum
- Keasbey & Mattison
- National Gypsum
- Nicolet
- Owens Corning
- Owens-Illinois
- Pacor Incorporated
- Pittsburgh Corning
- Rock Wool Manufacturing
- Shook & Fletcher
- The Flintkote Company
- UNARCO
- Western MacArthur
- R. Grace & Co.
