Boiler Workers

Boilermakers, engine room workers, pipe fitters and steam fitters are all considered to be boiler workers. These laborers work with steel boilers, bridges and other structures or equipment. In addition, much boiler work involved some degree of welding. For a long period of time, welding rods and compounds were made with asbestos, which was released as the materials eroded. These workers faced an extremely high risk of asbestos exposure and asbestos-related diseases such as mesothelioma and asbestosis.

Boiler rooms were a common feature of ships and commercial buildings. Boilers on ships created the steam that spun the turbines and prop shafts. Boilers were also used to heat commercial and residential buildings. Many such buildings and vessels had their own, close-quartered rooms for the boilers. These rooms were typically small, enclosed spaces in which airborne asbestos continually circulated due to the poor ventilation. Unfortunately, these working conditions put boiler room workers at a high risk of inhaling asbestos that was released into the air.

Boilermakers and Engine Room Workers

Boilermakers were faced with the task of manufacturing a product that was resistant to pressure, heat and fire. Asbestos met all of these requirements, and boilermakers used the material in a number of boiler room products until the late 20th century. Many boilermakers also had to repair the boilers used in ships and buildings, and these operations also disturbed the asbestos-containing materials and released the fibers into the air.

Asbestos was used in individual components that were used in the assembly of boilers, turbines and some engines. Boiler maintenance often disturbed the asbestos in these parts when workers removed the jackets and lagging that surrounded the boiler.

When installing boilers, boiler room workers often had to cut gaskets and pipes to fit the boiler into a given space. This easily disturbed the latent asbestos and sent fibers into the air. Boilermakers who were required to repair broken machinery often had to fix broken lagging with asbestos tape, lagging mats, cement, gaskets, insulation, joint compound or other asbestos-containing substances.

A federal law passed in the 1930s required components used in the construction of ocean-going vessels to be fireproof. Parts were often coated with asbestos fireproofing spray or cement. Valves contained asbestos compounds, while the walls, ceilings and floors of engine rooms were insulated with asbestos-containing panels and other materials. Boilermakers and engine room workers on ships faced high asbestos risks as they manipulated these materials.

A study of the members of the Michigan Boilermakers Union found that 30 percent of the boilermakers who had spent 10 or more years in the industry had developed bilateral pleural abnormalities. These issues included pleural plaques and interstitial fibrosis. Additional studies have indicated that boilermakers have increased mortality from lung cancer, asbestosis and other changes noted in x-ray imaging.

Steam and Pipe Fitters

Asbestos insulation covered the pipes and tubing that lead in and out of boilers. Because they carried high-pressure, high-temperature steam and water away from the boilers, it was crucial that the pipes were sufficiently insulated to withstand the heat. Steam and pipe fitters had to connect, repair and maintain these pipes and tubes, placing them at high risk for inhaling the asbestos that was once regarded as the ideal insulator in this situation. Because of this, steam and pipe fitters commonly worked with cement, joint compounds, insulation gaskets and valves containing asbestos.

Steam and pipe fitters were often required to remove old insulation from pipes and re-wrap the pipes with asbestos-containing materials. They also had to install and insulate the conduits in the boiler rooms. These procedures often disturbed asbestos products and released the fibers into the air.

Resources for Boiler Workers

As one steam fitter noted, individuals working with boilers did not merely handle the substance, but rather "ate asbestos." Thousands of asbestos-related claims and lawsuits have been filed by people exposed to the substance from working in or around boilers, steam and pipe fittings.

Individuals working in occupations related to boiler construction, installation, service or maintenance may have been exposed to asbestos at some point during their careers. If you would like to discuss your history of asbestos exposure with a physician and are looking for a doctor in your area, the Mesothelioma Center’s Doctor Match Program can help you make an appointment at a care center. Additionally, if you have been diagnosed with mesothelioma and would like further information about your diagnosis, please fill out the form on this page.