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How Can a Sawyer Get Mesothelioma by Occupational Exposure to Asbestos?
Sawyers cut wood, stone and metal to create other products such as cabinets and tables. They may also work on construction sites and install logs and other wood products on site. Construction sites were a major source of asbestos exposure until the 1970s when asbestos products became regulated. Asbestos was used for a variety of construction products, including covering for pipes, insulation, gaskets, valves, pumps, insulation, drywall and joint compound. Additionally, asbestos lumber was used as a base for roofing and siding materials like shingles and false brick facing.
When sawyers came in contact with these products or people who used them, they could breathe in microscopic asbestos fibers that could become lodged in the lining of their lungs and result in mesothelioma.
Asbestos was highly coveted in the construction industry because it was durable, versatile and inexpensive, so it was used on millions of structures across the United States.
Additionally, asbestos was used to insulate machinery because it was resistant to heat and used to prevent fires, so workers could have breathed in these materials when around machinery. Asbestos was also used in forklifts, cranes and other heavy machinery in brake pads and linings.
Common job duties of sawyers include:
- Read blueprints and technical drawings
- Feed lumber into saw machinery
- Operate head saw and feed carriage to saw logs into boards
- Adjust carriage blocks to align log for sawing
- Calibrate saw machinery to the appropriate specifications
- Activate carriage to move log against saw blade
- Activate mechanical log turner to turn the log over for subsequent
- Use hand and power tools, such as circular saws, wire saws, handsaws and table saws
- Operate heavy machinery such as a forklift or crane
- Ship and install wood products
- Inspect equipment for malfunctions
- Perform basic maintenance on saw machinery
- Oversee the processing of lumber into wood components
Locations in the United States for the Highest Employment Rates for Sawyers
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, there are currently 25,730 logging equipment operators. The states with the highest employment rates for logging equipment operators include:
- Alabama
- Georgia
- Oregon
- North Carolina
- Mississippi
Similar Occupations as Sawyers
Similar occupations as sawyers include:
- Carpenters
- Conservation scientists
- Construction equipment operators
- Electricians
- Forest and conservation workers
- Foresters
- Grounds maintenance workers
Lawsuits and Settlements Involving Sawyers and Mesothelioma
Sawyers who are exposed to asbestos during their jobs may have several options for seeking monetary compensation due to their occupational exposure. Individuals can seek workers’ compensation benefits for occupational diseases such as mesothelioma or asbestosis.
Studies Related to Sawyers and Asbestos
While there are few studies related to sawyers themselves, there have been several studies conducted on asbestos exposure that occurs in the construction industry, which sawyers are part of. For example, an American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine study estimated that more than 1.3 million construction workers are still at risk of asbestos occupational exposure. Those who work on structures built before the 1970s or who work in demolition are a at an elevated risk of occupational exposure.
Another study found that approximately 30% of roofers who handled asbestos worked in environments where asbestos concentrations were above the permitted limit. A 2018 study published in the International Journal of Epidemiology found that construction workers are at least five times more likely to develop mesothelioma when compared to the general population.
An Italian study of 952 individuals with mesothelioma found that 251 of the cases involved workers who worked in the construction industry. Each of these workers had between 350,000 and 3,000,000 asbestos fibers found in their lungs.
Types of Asbestos Products Used by Sawyers
Sawyers could have been exposed to a variety of asbestos products through their line of work, such as
- Roof shingles
- Corrugated cement sheets
- Flat cement sheets
- Siding
- Drywall
- Insulation
Manufacturers of Asbestos Products Used by Sawyers
Some of the largest manufacturers of asbestos-containing asbestos products that sawyers may have used or come in contact with include:
- Celotex
- GAF Corporation
- Johns Manville
- Keasby & Mattison Company
National Gypsum Company
