Because asbestos was used to strengthen and fortify bricks, mortar, and other masonry products, bricklayers and stone masons had a high risk of exposure to asbestos during the time that the carcinogenic material was used in building materials. These craftsmen continue to face the risk of mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases today when removing old masonry, as bricks or stonework laid decades ago has a high probability of containing the toxic mineral.
How Was Asbestos Used in Brick and Stone Masonry in the Past?
During the 20th century, asbestos was used constantly in construction products of all kinds, including bricks, mortar, and other masonry products. Asbestos was mixed with mud to make bricks as long ago as the Stone Age, and from 1920 to 1980, asbestos was frequently an ingredient in the dry powder that was mixed with water to create water or cement.[1] The inexpensive and easily accessible material added strength and increased heat resistance, so it was included in both existing bricks and cement bricks that bricklayers and stone masons worked with and would be added to dry cement mix on a job site.[2]
Insulating bricks and bricks designed to withstand high temperatures, such as those used near boilers or kiln liners, were particularly likely to contain asbestos, but asbestos was also found in cement bricks. In some cases, batches of waste material from asbestos-cement factories were reclaimed and reconstituted into a material that contained approximately 12% asbestos fibers. It was then used to make asbestos bricks for thermal insulation using small amounts of cement as a binder or as a cement filler.[2]
Asbestos fibers were used as an additive in mortar for use in brick, stone, and other masonry construction as a strengthener and to improve water and fire resistance. It was used to construct walls, fireplaces, chimneys, facades, and other structures. It was also used to repair damaged structures and to reinforce concrete slabs.[2]
How Were Bricklayers and Stone Masons Exposed to Asbestos?
There were several ways that bricklayers and stone masons were exposed to asbestos when first installing brick or stone masonry. Mixing asbestos-containing dry cement with water or adding asbestos to a dry cement mix raised a cloud of dust that contained microscopic asbestos particles that were easily inhaled or ingested. Cutting asbestos-containing stone or bricks to fit a specific application also raised dust, and bricklayers and stone masons also frequently worked on construction sites where others were working with asbestos-containing products such as floor and ceiling tiles, wallboard, joint compound, pipe insulation, valve packing, or fireproofing materials that released the deadly fibers.
Are Brick Layers and Stone Masons Still at Risk of Asbestos Exposure?
Though asbestos is no longer being used in any masonry products made in the United States, it may still be included in products that are imported into the country. Still, the greatest concern about asbestos exposure in today’s bricklayers and stone masons comes from legacy asbestos in products that were installed before 1980.
When existing asbestos-containing cement is chipped away or sanded down, or asbestos-containing bricks are sawed into pieces or hammered out of place as part of demolition projects, they release hidden asbestos fibers into the air. Whether the demolition job is large or small, the concentrations of asbestos released from damaging asbestos-containing masonry materials can be as high or higher than what their predecessors who initially used the materials were exposed to, and may put others working or living in the vicinity at the same risk.
Secondary Exposure to Asbestos from Bricklaying and Stone Masonry Work
While bricklayers and stone masons who work or worked with asbestos-containing masonry materials are most immediately at risk for asbestos-related illnesses, occupational exposure is not the only way that people can be sickened by asbestos. Wives who laundered their husband’s asbestos-dust-coated work clothes, children who embraced their dust-covered fathers after work, and others who lived with people exposed to the toxic material are at risk of developing mesothelioma, asbestos-related lung cancer, and other asbestos-related diseases from inhaling the fibers carried into their homes on their loved one’s hair, skin, and clothing. This is known as secondary exposure to asbestos.
Bricklaying and Stone Masonry Materials That Contained Asbestos
The asbestos-containing materials most frequently used in brick manufacturing and the bricklaying and stone masonry process include:[3]
- Cinder blocks – Cinder blocks made with asbestos were used in residential construction before 1900, and the masonry cement that was used as a bonding agent between both cinder blocks and bricks contained asbestos as reinforcement and to prevent cracking in the finished product. Masonry cement used before 1980 often contained as much as 10% asbestos.
- Mortar – Mortar is the material that holds bricks in place, particularly for wall construction. Mortar manufacturers added asbestos to mortar to provide high durability, increase its insulating abilities, and make it more resistant to fire and heat. Up until the 1980s, asbestos was included in 90% of the mortar mixes used in the United States.
- Brickwork – Chrysotile and amphibole asbestos were used to make brickwork mortar to increase its strength and prevent fire and water damage, and asbestos bricks were used in the lining of chimneys, furnaces, and other high-heat applications.
- Imitation Brick Cladding – This decorative material was made to look like brick and would be attached to asbestos-containing cement sheeting. It was particularly popular in the 1930s in the form of brick siding panels to cover deteriorated exterior walls.
Any structure built before 1980 has a high likelihood of containing asbestos-containing mortar or concrete bricks. These materials can be found in:[3]
- Foundations
- Masonry walls
- Facades
- Wall cladding
- Structural walls
- Columns
- Balconies and verandahs
- Reinforced areas of internal and external walls
What Companies Made Asbestos Containing Brick and Stone Masonry Materials?
Several companies were known to manufacture asbestos-containing bricks, cement bricks, mortar, and other masonry products. They include:[3]
- H.K. Porter (Bonding Mortar Ho.20)
- National Gypsum (Gold Bond Mortar Mix)
- United States Gypsum (Pyrobar Mortar Mix)
- GAF/Ruberoid (Brick-Strip Paper, Hearth-Glow Brick)
- General Refractories Company (Grefco) – Steelklad Dibond Firebrick
- Harbison-Walker Refractories Company – Metalkase Firebricks
- Dresser Industries, Inc. – Metalkase Firebrick, Nucon Firebrick
- Sherwin-Williams Paint Company – Brick and Stucco Buff
How Does Asbestos Exposure Harm Bricklayers and Stone Masons?
Asbestos fibers are tiny and extremely lightweight. When released into the air, they float and are easily inhaled or ingested and then become embedded in the lining of the lungs or the cavities in which the pleural and peritoneal organs lie. Once the needlelike ends of asbestos fibers become stuck in a cell, it is extremely difficult for the body to expel it, and it begins to cause damage, ranging from cell death and scarring to mutations that grow into deadly tumors.
Bricklayers and stone masons who have been exposed to asbestos are at risk for a range of asbestos-related diseases, including:
- Pleural mesothelioma
- Peritoneal mesothelioma
- Pericardial mesothelioma
- Lung cancer
- Other types of cancer
- Asbestosis
- Pleural plaques
- Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)
How Can Bricklayers and Stone Masons Protect Themselves from Asbestos?
Unlike other occupational exposures, the risk of asbestos exposure may be greater for today’s bricklayers and stone masons than it was for these skilled craftsmen in the past. Bricklayers and stone masons constantly encounter legacy asbestos on structures they’ve been called to repair, retrofit, remove, or replace. Because of this, they need to be aware of the risk of asbestos in their work environment, as well as their rights to safe conditions.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has published specific guidelines to ensure that protections against asbestos exposure are in place for bricklayers and stone masons:[4]
- The exposure limit for workers in any industry is just 0.1 fibers per square centimeter, and employers must actively comply with the limit.
- Employers are required to communicate clearly with workers if there is asbestos on the job and what the risks are.
- Employers must regularly monitor workplace asbestos.
- Workers are entitled to protective gear if working around asbestos, including respirators.
- Workers must have access to medical surveillance if exposed to asbestos.
If you work for an employer who is not complying with these regulations, you can file a complaint with OSHA. If you are self-employed, you must know how to identify asbestos-containing materials and take precautions to protect yourself.
Can Bricklayers and Stone Masons Be Compensated for Asbestos-Related Diseases?
If you or someone you love is a bricklayer or stone mason who was exposed to asbestos on the job and diagnosed with an asbestos-related disease, you may be able to file a workers’ compensation claim against your employer. You may also be eligible to pursue legal action against those who are responsible for you having become sick. These legal actions generally take one of the following two forms:
- Personal Injury Lawsuit. Occupational asbestos exposure often reflects negligence on the part of the companies that fail to notify workers of the risks their products pose to their health. Asbestos attorneys can help identify the workplaces and manufacturers whose products exposed you to asbestos and represent you in filing lawsuits that result in either out-of-court settlements or jury verdicts.
- Asbestos Trust Funds. Many asbestos manufacturers and distributors sought bankruptcy protection in the face of asbestos liabilities. As part of the bankruptcy process, they were required to set up asbestos trust funds to which asbestos victims can file claims for compensation.
Examples of Asbestos Lawsuits Involving Bricklaying and Stone Masonry
Many bricklayers, stone masons, people exposed to asbestos-containing masonry products, and people who worked in proximity to masonry work have filed and won personal injury lawsuits against the asbestos companies responsible for their illnesses, and so too have surviving family members of those victims who have succumbed to their asbestos-related diseases. Some of these lawsuits include:
- Former brick mason Alonzo J. Cain was awarded $7.4 million in compensation after he filed a mesothelioma lawsuit against multiple companies he blamed for his deadly illness. Mr. Cain worked at Inland Steel for nearly six decades and recalled having been exposed to asbestos by working around asbestos hot top boards used in the company’s steel-making process and from the dust raised by workers who were installing and removing asbestos pipe covering in his presence. The Chicago jury that heard his case assigned 30% liability to the company that manufactured the boards and 70% liability to the company that was installing and removing the asbestos pipes near where he worked.
- After graduating from high school in 1961, Marvin Leren worked for brick manufacturer Z-Brick Company for twenty years. The company made thin, decorative bricks, and Mr. Leren was responsible for pouring 100-pound sacks of raw asbestos into large hoppers used to mix ingredients for the bricks. The process created clouds of asbestos dust. Later, after the bricks hardened, Leren cut them with a power saw, producing more dust. He died of mesothelioma in November 2015, just a few months after he first began exhibiting symptoms. He filed a lawsuit which his estate continued after his death. The jury awarded his estate $294,000 in economic damages and $681,000 in noneconomic damages.
