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Page Updated: June 22, 2022

Asbestos in Electrical Wiring

Dave Foster Page Edited by Patient Advocate Dave Foster

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Fact Checked

This page has been fact checked by an experienced mesothelioma Patient Advocate. Sources of information are listed at the bottom of the article.

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We make every attempt to keep our information accurate and up-to-date.

Please Contact Us with any questions or comments.

Laws now limit the use of asbestos in construction and insulation materials, but asbestos in electrical wiring was once common.[1] Electricians today, as well as others working with wiring in older buildings, are at risk of asbestos exposure and of developing mesothelioma or other illnesses associated with asbestos.

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Electrical Wiring

The Use of Asbestos in Wiring

Asbestos is a natural insulator. Because this naturally occurring mineral is not a good conductor of electricity or heat, it is often used as an electrical insulator.[2]

For years, various insulation materials contained asbestos, including those used in walls, around plumbing elements, furnaces, heaters, pumps, and around wires used in electrical systems.

Insulation for wiring may include paper or cloth materials, tapes, and other materials. Any of these materials may be impregnated with asbestos fibers.

How Electricians May Be Exposed

There are several ways electricians may be exposed to airborne asbestos fibers. The first is from the electrical wiring itself. Electrical wires must be insulated to contain an electrical charge.

Since asbestos has properties that make it good for insulating purposes, it was once commonly used for this purpose. Before experts fully understood the dangers of asbestos, the materials used to coat and insulate electrical wires contained asbestos fibers for years.

Electricians working in older buildings can be exposed simply by working with wires insulated with materials containing asbestos. Removing old wires and stripping old insulation to recover the copper underneath can disturb asbestos, causing tiny asbestos fibers to become airborne.

Drilling into walls that contain asbestos is particularly dangerous. This process often produces dust; however, this is often unavoidable as electricians must drill to access wiring and create conduits.

Another way electricians are exposed to asbestos is on construction sites. Even when electricians are not working with wiring that contains asbestos, others on the site may disturb asbestos.

Often wall insulation or ceiling tiles that contain asbestos are damaged in the process, causing tiny fibers to drift into the air. These fibers often exist in construction site dust, putting workers at risk of inhalation.[2]

Research Finds Asbestos Risk Elevated for Electricians

Several studies have been conducted to determine common exposure levels of electricians. Some studies have found the risk to be moderately elevated. Others have found the risk to be increased but still within acceptable limits. What is known with certainty is electricians are exposed to more asbestos than the average person.

One study did not restrict the research to electricians. It did, however, include electricians in the participant group. Researchers looked for mesothelioma biomarkers in over 100 workers known to have been exposed to asbestos on the job. Biomarkers, proteins that indicate the presence of mesothelioma cancer cells, were present in the group’s electricians. Electricians were among those at the highest risk of mesothelioma biomarkers.[3]

Another study investigated electricians specifically, attempting to determine if exposure risk directly resulted from electrical products. Researchers found that while electricians have higher rates of mesothelioma, the increased risk may not be due to electrical products themselves. The exposure more likely comes from asbestos fibers in the dust on renovation sites.[4]

Lawsuits

Over the years, many people have filed lawsuits related to asbestos exposure at work. Electricians specifically filed many lawsuits.

In one case, a former electrician for Carnival Cruise lines died of lung cancer caused by years of asbestos exposure on ships. The man’s surviving family successfully sued Carnival Cruise lines, winning a settlement on his behalf.[5]

In another case, an Indiana man worked for forty years as an electrician, breathing asbestos fibers without understanding the risks. At seventy-eight years old, he filed lawsuits because of developing malignant pleural mesothelioma.

His doctors informed him that his work as an electrician and smoking led to the diagnosis decades later. The case is expected to be complex; however, he and his family are fighting for justice and compensation.[6]

The children of electricians have even filed lawsuits. Secondary asbestos exposure can cause mesothelioma or lung cancer. When an electrician inadvertently brings home asbestos fibers on their clothing, those fibers enter the air of the home, putting their children at risk. This is known as take-home exposure and puts more people at risk of developing asbestos-related diseases.[7]

Electrical wiring contained asbestos in insulation materials for decades. Electricians working with those wires and those working on construction sites that contained sources of asbestos were put at risk of exposure. Those exposed are at risk of developing debilitating and life-threatening illnesses like mesothelioma. Many of those workers are now seeking justice and compensation through lawsuits and settlements.

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Page Edited by Patient Advocate Dave Foster

Dave Foster

Dave has been a mesothelioma Patient Advocate for over 10 years. He consistently attends all major national and international mesothelioma meetings. In doing so, he is able to stay on top of the latest treatments, clinical trials, and research results. He also personally meets with mesothelioma patients and their families and connects them with the best medical specialists and legal representatives available.

Connect with Patient Advocate Dave Foster

References
  1. Agency for Toxic Substances & Disease Registry. (2014, January 29). Asbestos Toxicity. Where is Asbestos Found?
    Retrieved from: https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/csem/asbestos/where_is_asbestos_found.html
  2. Blake, C.L., Johnson, G.T., and Harbison, R.D. (2019, August 5). Power Stripping of Asbestos-Containing Insulation from Electrical Cable. Occupational Diseases and Environmental Medicine. 7, 65-74.
    Retrieved from: https://www.scirp.org/pdf/ODEM_2019080215282939.pdf
  3. Amati, M., Tomasetti, M., Mariotti, L., Tarquini, L.M. Valentino, M., and Santarelli, L. (2008). Assessment of Biomarkers in Asbestos-Exposed Workers as Indicators of Cancer Risk. Mutat. Res. 655(1-2), 52-8.
    Retrieved from: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18638565/
  4. Goodman, J.E., Peterson, M.K., Bailey, L.A., Kerper, L.E., and Dodge, D.G. (2014, February). Electricians’ Chrysotile Asbestos Exposure from Electrical Products and Risks of Mesothelioma and Lung Cancer. Regul. Toxicol. Pharmacol. 68(1), 8-15.
    Retrieved from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24189076
  5. eTurbo News. (2015, January 15). $3.6 Million Award in World’s First Cruise Ship Asbestos Case.
    Retrieved from: https://www.eturbonews.com/107268/36-million-award-world-s-first-cruise-ship-asbestos-case/
  6. Guerra, K. (2016, April 4). Cancer-Causing Asbestos at Center of Complex Indiana Legal Battle. Indy Star.
    Retrieved from: https://www.indystar.com/story/news/crime/2016/04/04/cancer-causing-asbestos-center-complex-indiana-legal-battle/82389426/
  7. Brueggemann, B. (2010, July 22). ‘Take-Home Exposure’ Fuels Wave of Asbestos Lawsuits. McClatchy News Services.
    Retrieved from: https://www.wenatcheeworld.com/lifestyles/health/take-home-exposure-fuels-wave-of-asbestos-lawsuits/article_c58eb465-eac0-5493-b9b4-f9965803e616.html
View All References

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