Pipefitter Asbestos Exposure

Pipefitters lay out, assemble, install, and maintain pipe systems, pipe supports, and related hydraulic and pneumatic equipment for steam, hot water, heating, cooling, lubricating, sprinkling, and industrial production and processing systems.  Usually, the term pipefitter applies to someone who works on large-scale commercial projects rather than someone who works with pipes in a residential setting.  That person is usually referred to as a plumber.  The two jobs, however, can be quite similar, involving identical duties but on a different scale.

Pipefitters and Asbestos

Simply put, because pipefitters work on pipes, and prior to 1980 many pipes were insulated with asbestos, pipefitters were exposed on a regular basis to the toxic material.

Pipe insulation was usually of two types:

• Aircell – a corrugated asbestos paper which looks like gray cardboard (trade names were Asbestocel and Carcycel, among others). This product is usually extremely high in concentration at about 50 - 90% asbestos. It was also wrapped around air supply ducts.
• Block Insulation - a combination of asbestos with other binders that was then hardened to create blocks for insulation. The outside surface was commonly covered with cloth made from canvas or tar paper, but it was occasionally used without any covering at all.  Types of block insulation include:
• Amosite Sheeting: amosite (a type of asbestos) that was processed and covered with felt that was mainly used for pipe insulation.
• Laminated Asbestos Felt: known as 'asbestos sponge felt', made with asbestos and magnesia.
• Diatomaceous Earth with Asbestos Fiber: a combination of diatomaceous silica (the remains of microscopic diatoms) and asbestos fiber that could withstand temperatures up to 1900° Fahrenheit.
• Hydrous Calcium Silicate: known as 'Calsil', made primarily of lime and silica but with a small amount of asbestos that was included for mechanical purposes.
• Joint/Elbow Fillers: also called 'insulation cement' or 'insulation mud' made up of asbestos combined with bonding clays. This product was often poured into inaccessible spaces or used to seal pipe joints or elbows.

At construction sites, pipefitters often worked on or around these materials without benefit of protective gear. Sites offered poor ventilation systems and pipefitters worked in tight quarters, meaning that any asbestos dust usually remained in the air near the workers.
Pipefitters would saw through asbestos insulation so that it would fit in the required spaces.  The process of cutting, sawing, or causing any kind of damage to the asbestos insulation would cause fibers to be released and become airborne, making them easy to inhale.
Health problems associated with the pipefitting industry are numerous.  Throughout the decades, many have developed lung diseases which have cost many pipefitters their lives or, at the very least, compromised their lifestyle.
Are you a former pipefitter who’s been diagnosed with mesothelioma?  If so, it’s time to take a moment to learn all the facts about the disease and your options for the future.  Order our free Mesothelioma Resource Kit for more information.