Construction Workers and Asbestos Exposure
Skilled tradespeople and their labor force built every facility and support system across America. Ordinary construction workers utilized a broad range of materials on the job. For over seven decades, many of these building materials contained a lethal substance called asbestos.
Asbestos was a staple ingredient in hundreds of building products from the 1920s to the 1980s. This was before the extreme hazards of asbestos became widely known, and conclusive proof revealed that long-term asbestos exposure was the sole cause of mesothelioma.
Virtually every home, office building, and factory in America once contained asbestos. Many of them still do. However, most asbestos products were phased out in the late 20th century.
How Construction Workers Were Exposed to Asbestos
Construction workers were consistently exposed to a working environment with high concentrations of airborne asbestos. Whether or not workers were personally installing asbestos materials didn’t matter.
Anyone working with asbestos on a job site could expose construction personnel to hazardous fibers. This exposure rate was particularly severe on renovation and demolition jobs.
Construction workers cut, drilled, sanded, and shaped several asbestos-based building products before installing them in their final state. All this work could release asbestos fibers into the air.
Construction work could also cause secondhand asbestos exposure. Asbestos from construction sites settled on workers’ clothes, tools, and vehicles. Family members could be exposed to asbestos while doing laundry or traveling in contaminated cars.
Even office personnel were at risk of secondhand asbestos exposure when construction workers wearing contaminated clothing dropped by for business.
Asbestos Products Used in Construction Work
Asbestos was thought to be the perfect construction material. It was frequently added to other products to make them lighter, stronger, fireproof, and thermally stable. Asbestos was also plentiful, easy to work with, and inexpensive to purchase.
Construction workers used several asbestos-containing products, like:
- Cabinet materials like paper liners and pressboard
- Cement powder and masonry products
- Door cores and facings
- Drywall, joint tape, and finishing compound
- Exterior siding products
- Floor tiles and underlayment
- Insulation in wall, floors, and ceilings
- Paints, glues, and sealants
- Roofing products like felt and shingles
- Welding rods and protective gear
- Wrappings around hot water pipes and furnace boilers
Construction Worker Careers
Every society in history relied on construction workers to build houses, public structures, and utility connections. Construction workers perform a wide variety of tasks which range from preparing new construction sites to demolishing buildings.
There are three broad construction worker classifications:
- Residential and Commercial: Construction of homes and office buildings.
- Industrial: Construction of factories and large complexes.
- Civil and Heavy: Construction of roads, airports, and railway transportation systems.
Most construction workers fall into three additional groups:
- Professionals: The engineers who plan, design, and approve projects.
- Experienced Construction Workers: Tradespeople holding journeyman qualifications.
- Unskilled Laborers: Typically assistants or apprentices in training.
Professional construction workers fall under a variety of specialties, working as structural, civil, mechanical, or electrical engineers. Skilled workers include carpenters, electricians, plumbers, and masons. Semi-skilled construction workers often perform insulation, roofing, drywall, and painting jobs.
No matter what role or responsibility construction workers had, every one of them suffered from asbestos exposure during the early and mid-20th century.
Construction Worker Health Risks
Construction workers were in the highest risk group for asbestos exposure, making them most likely to develop mesothelioma in later years. Mesothelioma is a deadly form of cancer caused only by asbestos exposure.
Construction workers frequently inhaled microscopic asbestos fibers, which became embedded in the lining of their lungs, abdomen or heart, eventually causing mesothelioma.
It takes 10 to 50 years for a construction worker — or anyone exposed to asbestos — to develop mesothelioma.
Construction workers exposed to asbestos decades ago are still at risk of developing mesothelioma today. While there is no safe level of asbestos exposure, the risk of mesothelioma increases with the duration of exposure and the amount of asbestos breathed in or swallowed.
Construction workers were repeatedly exposed to heavy levels of asbestos over several years.
Help for Mesothelioma Victims
If you are a construction worker who developed mesothelioma from workplace asbestos exposure, you may be eligible for compensation. This compensation can cover your medical expenses, lost wages, and associated damages.
Families of mesothelioma victims can apply for compensation on their behalf. They can also file wrongful death lawsuits.
If you want to learn about more support options available to mesothelioma victims, our Justice Support Team is standing by. Get a free case review today.
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