Electrician Asbestos Exposure

Just about the whole world depends on electricity.  That’s why it’s necessary to have so many skilled workers who are well-versed as to the ins and outs of keeping everyone “wired”.  Electricians are highly-trained individuals whose job it is to address the intricacies of electricity, often putting themselves in danger to be sure that others are not “in the dark”. 

Many electricians are self-employed, making themselves available to do a number of odd jobs, including lots of business in the residential sector.  Others work for companies that are awarded large contracts from big construction companies and may find themselves working on expansive housing developments or large commercial buildings such as factories or even skyscrapers.

The Dangers Faced by Electricians

Because electrical wires must be hidden from sight, electricians are often found crawling through tiny spaces or intricately placing wires behind wallboard, above ceiling tiles, or in other out-of-the-way, hard-to-reach places. 

Such placement of wires often means that electricians are drilling or sawing through materials like floor and ceiling tiles or wallboard, creating large amounts of dust.  For decades, many of these products contained asbestos - regardless of whether they were found in commercial or residential properties - and such manipulation meant that asbestos fibers were being circulated through the air. 

Electrical insulation (insulating film and paper), used on wiring to keep people from receiving electrical shocks, was also made of asbestos prior to the mid 1970s, due to its excellent fire- and heat-resistant properties. 

While new products used by electricians no longer contain asbestos, those in the profession are often faced with the task of working in buildings that were constructed prior to the asbestos warnings; therefore, materials encountered may contain the dangerous material.

As the dangers of asbestos were not well-known or were often covered up, electricians may not have worn protective masks to keep them from inhaling airborne fibers.

Asbestos-containing items encountered by electricians may include:

• Cement Siding
• Cement Wallboard
• Acoustical Plaster
• Decorative Plaster
• Textured Paints
• Ceiling Tiles
• Electrical Cloth
• Electrical Panel Partitions
• Electrical Ducts
• Electric Wiring Insulation
• Thermal Paper Products
• High Temperature Gaskets
• Spackling Compounds

Asbestos-Related Diseases

Because of the widespread use of asbestos in the construction industry, electricians have been continually exposed to this hazardous material and many have developed asbestos-related diseases, such as mesothelioma, a cancer for which the only known cause is asbestos inhalation. 

Electricians who were exposed to asbestos for prolonged periods of time are still reporting incidences of the disease, even though the warnings were issued about 30 years ago.  That’s because the symptoms of mesothelioma often do not appear for decades, sometimes for more than 40 years. 

If you have mesothelioma and you worked as an electrician, it’s important that you protect your rights and get the best treatment possible for your disease.  Order our free Mesothelioma Information Packet for more details on the disease and your rights as a victim.