HVAC stands for heating, ventilation, and air conditioning, and HVAC workers are professionals who work on heating, air conditioning, cooling, and refrigeration systems. Because asbestos was used so extensively to insulate heating appliances in the years before the 1980s, the mechanics who worked in this industry during those years were at extremely high risk for exposure to asbestos and for being diagnosed with an asbestos-related disease. That risk continues today for HVAC professionals who work with in-place systems that contain old insulating material.
HVAC Systems and Asbestos
In the years before asbestos was linked to mesothelioma and other deadly illnesses, it was commonly used in HVAC products, vents, and duct connectors because of its fire and heat resistance. It was most frequently found in heating ducts and their lining, as well as in the pipes used to install boiler systems, the walls surrounding furnaces, the flexible duct connectors for air conditioning units, and the gaskets for joints and seals for almost every piece of HVAC machinery.[1]
What Is an HVAC System?
The term HVAC is broadly used to describe heating and cooling systems in both residential and commercial properties. An HVAC system heats, cools, and controls humidity and indoor air quality. Individual components of an HVAC system include air conditioning units, heat pumps, air handlers, furnaces, air cleaners, humidifiers, and dehumidifiers.[2]
How Was Asbestos Used in HVAC Systems?
Before it was identified as carcinogenic, asbestos was considered an essential component for any application that required strength, durability, and heat and fire resistance. Manufacturers included asbestos in thousands of products. There were numerous asbestos-containing products and parts made for use in heating and cooling products and systems, including:[1]
- Heat ducts, vents, & linings – Asbestos was used in cement, insulation, tape wrap, and cloth around heating ducts and their lining.
- Wood-burning fireplaces and stoves were manufactured using asbestos-containing cement sheets and millboard, as were fireplace embers, logs, and ashes in faux fireplaces also contained asbestos.
- Boilers contained internal asbestos-containing insulation and were frequently installed with asbestos insulation around the pipes leading to them.
- Furnaces and air conditioning units used asbestos in the flexible duct connectors that led to the units themselves. Oil and coal-burning furnaces also contained asbestos within their interior walls.
- Wall gaskets were used to connect joints and seals to most HVAC applications. Many contained asbestos that allowed them to withstand heat and compression.
- Door gaskets found in fireplaces, stoves, boilers, and other metal doors contained asbestos.
- Pipe insulation
- Adhesives, joint compounds, mastic products, and spray-on materials were used to seal areas around heat sources.
In the mid-1970s, the Environmental Protection Agency took several actions to protect the public, including HVAC workers from asbestos exposure. The actions that were most relevant for HVAC workers included:[3]
- In 1973, the agency banned spray-applied surfacing asbestos-containing material for fireproofing/insulating purposes.
- In 1975, the agency banned the installation of asbestos pipe insulation and asbestos block insulation on boilers, hot water tanks, and similar components.
- In 1977, the Consumer Product Safety Commission banned the use of asbestos in artificial fireplace embers and wall patching compounds.
Though these efforts made a difference, asbestos is still in place in the HVAC components where it was originally installed. This means that both the HVAC workers who originally installed the products and those tasked with maintenance, repair, and removal of in-place asbestos-containing HVAC materials are at risk for asbestos exposure.
What Do HVAC Workers Do?
HVAC workers have multiple responsibilities involving heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and refrigeration systems in both commercial and residential applications. They install, maintain, and repair the systems themselves, as well as installing the electrical components and wiring that make the systems operate. They inspect and test systems and their components following installation and during maintenance, repairing or replacing worn or defective parts.[4]
How Are HVAC Workers Exposed to Asbestos on the Job?
Before asbestos use was discontinued in the 1980s, HVAC workers were exposed to asbestos during the installation of heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems, as well as during routine maintenance and repairs. Any work involving cutting, sanding, or in any way manipulating or damaging asbestos-containing materials had the potential for releasing microscopic asbestos particles into the air, where they could easily be inhaled or ingested by an HVAC worker. These particles could then become embedded in the cells of the lungs or the mesothelium, leading to scarring, cell death, or mutations that eventually grow and metastasize into mesothelioma tumors, as well as other asbestos-related diseases.
Because HVAC mechanics do their work in small areas that have restricted airflow, they were at significant risk for both creating asbestos dust and breathing it in. HVAC workers also commonly worked on construction sites where other tradesmen were also generating asbestos dust while building and installing walls, installing electrical systems, installing asbestos-containing ceiling and floor tiles, and more.
Though asbestos is no longer being used in HVAC parts and materials, today’s HVAC workers run similar risks of exposure from maintaining and repairing older HVAC systems in which legacy asbestos remains. Age and environmental conditions make this older material more likely to break down into a dangerous, friable condition, increasing the risk of exposure that can lead to illnesses including malignant mesothelioma, asbestos-related lung cancer, and asbestosis.
Secondary Exposure to Asbestos from HVAC Work
In addition to the risk posed to HVAC professionals, there is a secondary risk of asbestos exposure involving their family members. There have been a troubling number of mesothelioma diagnoses among the spouses and children of people who worked with or around asbestos, including HVAC workers. Though these individuals never worked directly with the carcinogenic material, they were sickened by the asbestos fibers carried home on their family member’s work clothing, skin, or hair. Secondary asbestos exposure has also been linked to asbestos-related lung cancer and asbestosis, as well as other respiratory illnesses.
Study Shows HVAC Workers Are at Higher Risk of Asbestos Disease
HVAC workers are at higher risk for exposure to asbestos and subsequent diagnosis with an asbestos-related disease. A study published in 2017 in the journal EC Pulmonary and Respiratory Medicine analyzed the impact of working as an HVAC mechanic. It analyzed asbestosis deaths in the United States between the years 1970 and 2014 and found that HVAC mechanics had a fourfold risk of dying from asbestosis than those in the general population.
Lawsuits Involving HVAC Workers
Many HVAC workers who have been exposed to asbestos and subsequently diagnosed with an asbestos-related disease have taken legal action against the companies responsible for their illness. These claims accuse manufacturers, employers, and others involved in producing, distributing, and installing asbestos-containing products of creating defective products and failing to warn of their dangers. They seek compensation for the damages that victims have suffered. Some notable lawsuits include:
- Charles Vincent was diagnosed with mesothelioma in 2018 after having been exposed to asbestos during his career in the air conditioning business. His claim cited work from 1958 through 1960 and 1964 through 1988, starting when he was in seventh or eighth grade when he was hired by an air conditioning contractor. He worked on BAC cooling towers during high school and then became an air conditioning mechanic and supervisor. His career included work on the HVAC system for the World Trade Center, and in his deposition before his death, he described working with asbestos-containing gaskets and cleaning and scraping louvers and pans.[5]
- William Phipps and his wife Linda were awarded $25 million in damages following a lawsuit seeking compensation for having negligently exposed him to asbestos. Mr. Phipps had a long career as an HVAC technician after learning the skill in the U.S. Navy. The original lawsuit named 23 different asbestos companies as defendants, but several were either dismissed or agreed to a settlement with the couple. The lone remaining defendant was Copeland Corporation, which was ordered to pay the couple the sum after the jury heard of Phipps’ work with the company’s asbestos-containing compressors. Evidence showed that while replacing gaskets, he’d used tools to scrape the old gasket and had released asbestos dust that he’d inhaled.
Manufacturers Who Made Products HVAC Mechanics Used or Were Exposed To
HVAC professionals who have been diagnosed with asbestos-related diseases may be able to file suit against the companies responsible for their exposure to the carcinogenic material. Some of those companies include:
- American Standard Inc.
- Aurora Pump Company
- Bell & Gossett
- Bestwall Gypsum
- Burnham Corporation
- CertainTeed Corporation
- Duro Dyne Corporation
- FMC Corporation
- Georgia-Pacific Corporation
- Gold Bond
- Gould’s Pumps Inc.
- J-M Manufacturing Co.
- John Crane Inc.
- Johns-Manville
- Kaiser Gypsum Company Inc.
- Leslie Controls Inc.
- Metalclad Insulation Corporation
- Minnesota Mining & Manufacturing (3M)
- Rich-Tex Inc.
- Sid Harvey Industries Inc.
- Sprinkmann Insulation
- W.R. Grace
How HVAC Workers Can Stay Safe from Asbestos
Before the 1980s, HVAC workers were unaware of the dangers posed by the equipment and materials they worked with, but today’s HVAC mechanics can take steps to protect themselves from the carcinogenic material that’s hidden in older equipment. If you work with heating, cooling, ventilation, or refrigeration units today, it’s important to be aware of the risks and dangers associated with asbestos exposure, as well as of the safety rules that the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has imposed regarding workplace exposure. Your employer is responsible for keeping you safe, and this means providing you with safety gear and appropriate training so that you can recognize where asbestos exposure presents a risk to your health.
Have You Been Exposed to Asbestos on the Job?
Because HVAC workers have such a high risk for exposure to asbestos on the job, anybody who works in the trade should be aware of the signs and symptoms of asbestos-related diseases and notify their healthcare professional of their past exposure. Knowing your exposure history will provide a real advantage when it comes to catching these diseases early and getting treatment started.
If you’ve been diagnosed with mesothelioma or another asbestos-related disease, you do have options for compensation, including filing a personal injury lawsuit against the asbestos companies responsible. You may also be eligible to file a claim with one of the many asbestos trust funds that have been set up by asbestos companies that have been driven into bankruptcy by their asbestos liabilities. What’s most important is that you act quickly, as there are limits to how long you have to pursue legal action. An experienced asbestos attorney will be an invaluable resource as you explore the paths available to you and make the decisions that are best for you and your family.
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