Insulation workers install and replace specialized insulating materials that increase comfort, save energy, reduce noise, and prevent the spread of fire in both buildings and mechanical systems. The job involves reviewing blueprints or other specifications to gauge how much insulation is needed and what type is best for the application; measuring and cutting insulation to fit; installing insulation and securing it with staples, tape, or screws; and removing and disposing of old insulation.[1]
Why Was Asbestos Used in Insulation?
As useful and important as insulation is, its use over the years has had a tragic effect. That’s because asbestos was a constant component of insulation throughout much of the 20th century. As a result, many in the insulating profession who manufactured, installed, or worked with the material inhaled or ingested its toxic fibers and were later diagnosed with malignant pleural and peritoneal mesothelioma, asbestos-related lung cancer, asbestosis, and other asbestos-related diseases. Though asbestos is no longer used in today’s insulation products, removing the material that was installed years ago poses a significant risk to insulators who are working today.
Before the dangers of asbestos were known, there were plenty of good reasons to use it as a component of insulation. Asbestos does not transfer heat or cold, making it the perfect layer to protect against temperature variances in both buildings and mechanical systems. Its chemical stability makes it ideal for blending with other substances, and it proved ideal for insulating electrical components because it doesn’t conduct electricity. It is both fireproof and non-corrosive so it lasts a long time, and it was inexpensive and readily available.[2]
All of these positive attributes were enhanced by the fact that asbestos fibers are so flexible. Easily pulled apart and mixed with other materials, it was the ideal insulator for construction needs, for electrical wiring, and to provide stable temperatures within high-heat, high-friction machinery.
As insulation, asbestos was frequently mixed with other materials like vermiculite or magnesia to suit different applications including loose-fill, pipe wrap, and spray-on insulation. During the height of asbestos use in the years between the 1930s and 1970s, insulation ranged from being made with 15% asbestos to being 100% asbestos.[2]
How Are Insulation Workers Exposed to Asbestos?
Insulators work in two different types of applications. Some install insulation under floors, behind walls, and in attics while others apply it to ductwork, pipes, and mechanical systems. The job’s responsibilities go far beyond simply installating and removing the material: insulators need to review plans and blueprints to determine the correct type of insulation to use, as well as the amount. If the installation site has previously-installed insulation, it needs to be removed and disposed of and the new insulation needs to be measured and cut to fit in place. In some cases, surfaces need to be prepared for the installation of the material, including applying adhesive to make it adhere or barriers to protect the insulation from moisture. Solid forms of insulation need to be secured using tapes, screws, or staples, while spray, foam, or loose insulation needs to be blown into place.[3]
Manipulating, cutting, spraying, and removing asbestos are all actions that can cause the material to break down into microscopic, inhalable, and ingestible fibers. For insulators working between the 1930s and the mid-1970s, nearly every one of these steps exposed them to risk, while modern-day insulators are endangered by removing previously installed asbestos-containing insulation, which is even more hazardous due to its deteriorated, friable state.
In addition to asbestos insulation, the International Association of Heat and Frost Insulators and Allied Workers reports that insulators working on construction sites may also be installed to asbestos fibers from other asbestos-containing materials, including:[4]
- Acoustic Ceilings
- Boiler Coverings
- Cement
- Coating
- Felt
- Furnace Insulations
- HVAC Ducts
- Pipe Block
- Piping
- Seals and Tapes
- Sprayed-On Fireproofing Materials
- Sound Insulation, Floor and Ceiling Tiles
Where is Asbestos Insulation Found?
In residential, commercial, and industrial buildings, asbestos insulation was most frequently used in the following areas and ways:
- Pipes and pipe coverings – Asbestos insulation kept pipes from losing heat. It also protected people coming into contact with pipes carrying heated steam and other fluids from being burned. This was particularly common in industrial settings and around furnaces and boilers.
- Attics and walls – Insulation provides a layer of protection against both heat and cold in homes and other types of buildings. It is commonly found behind drywall and in attics.
- Spray-on insulation – Most frequently found in commercial buildings and other large areas, spray-on insulation was made with high concentrations of asbestos.
- Block insulation – Concrete blocks used to construct homes and other structures.
Companies that Made Asbestos Insulation
- A C & S
- A. P. Green Industries
- Armstrong World Industries/Fibreboard Paper Products Corporation
- Bestwall Gypsum
- C.E. Thurston & Sons
- Celotex
- CertainTeed Corporation
- Combustion Engineering
- Crown Cork & Seal
- EaglePicher
- Ehret Magnesia
- Flintkote
- GAF Corporation
- Garlock
- Johns Manville
- Kaiser Aluminum
- Keasbey & Mattison (Nicolet)
- National Gypsum
- Nicolet (Keasbey & Mattison)
- Owens Corning/Fibreboard
- Owens-Illinois
- Pacor Incorporated
- Rock Wool Manufacturing
- Shook & Fletcher
- Unarco
- Western MacArthur
- W.R. Grace & Company
What Is the Mesothelioma Risk for Insulation Professionals?
- In 1972, three investigations were conducted, analyzing the risks of workers exposed to asbestos insulation materials. One study involved the entire membership of the insulation workers union in the United States and Canada, while another consisted of workers hired between 1941 and 1945 to work in a factory that manufactured asbestos insulation. The researchers found that one in five asbestos insulation workers’ deaths were the result of lung cancer and that the risk of gastrointestinal cancer was double that of the general population. Mesothelioma, both pleural and peritoneal accounted for 7% of deaths.[5]
- As recently as 2018, researchers published a study in the European Respiratory Journal reporting that over half of insulators were exposed to asbestos in their working environment. That study predicted a public health crisis in the health of insulators, independent of smoking habits, as a result of the toxic effects of the carcinogenic mineral.[6]
- In 1980, the Center for Disease (CDC) issued a report titled Workplace Exposure to Asbestos. Most notable of all the data contained in that report was its analysis of the risks to insulation workers. The CDC’s researchers identified 278 out of 17,800 insulation workers in both the United States and Canada diagnosed with mesothelioma, with peritoneal mesothelioma accounting for approximately half of the diagnoses and pleural mesothelioma found in 97 workers.[7]
Perhaps most pertinent to insulators past and present are the findings of research supported by the International Association of Heat and Frost Insulators and Allied Workers, which found that workers exposed to asbestos died in “hugely disproportionate numbers from cancer” and that nearly 20% of insulator deaths was a result of lung cancer and malignant mesothelioma.[8]
Preventing Asbestos Exposure in Insulation Workers
With legacy asbestos hidden in so many commercial, industrial, and residential structures, today’s insulation workers face very real continuing risks of asbestos exposure. To address the problem, the federal government as well as state and local regulators have established stringent rules for addressing the management of in-place asbestos, and professional insulation organizations encourage their members to be certified and licensed in asbestos abatement and to adhere to EPA and OSHA standards.[4]
Additionally, the Heat and Frost Insulators and Allied Workers have encouraged their members who are over the age of 50 and who have been exposed to asbestos to participate in their annual low-dose CT scan program to identify lung cancer and malignant mesothelioma when it is still limited in size.[8]
Are You an Insulation Professional Who Has Been Exposed to Asbestos?
As painful and tragic as mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases are, most people assume that asbestos exposure is a risk of the past. But insulation professionals are at risk for asbestos exposure before the material stopped being used as well as more recently, when removing legacy asbestos. As an insulation professional, you face an outsized risk of asbestos exposure, and it’s important to take measures to protect your family from secondary asbestos exposure and make sure you’re not carrying the fibers into your home on your hair, skin, or clothing. It’s also essential that you inform your healthcare professional of the risks you face so they can monitor your health and screen for asbestos-related diseases.
If you’ve been diagnosed with mesothelioma or another asbestos-related disease, a mesothelioma attorney can provide you with information and resources to help you make the best decisions for your future and your family. Options include filing a personal injury lawsuit against the companies whose products you’ve been exposed to, or in the case of asbestos companies that have established asbestos bankruptcy trusts, filing claims with them for compensation. To preserve your rights, act quickly after being diagnosed to ensure that you file a claim before the statute of limitations expires.
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