Bricklayers

Bricklayers and brickmasons are one of the occupations recognized as being at high risk of occupational exposure to asbestos. Bricklayers build walls, floors, pathways and other structures of brick and stone, often using mortar or cement between courses of brick. Some bricklayers specialize in building furnace and fireplace walls with firebrick, a type of brick that used to contain asbestos. This is only one avenue for asbestos exposure for bricklayers, though.

Like most construction workers, bricklayers are at higher risk of exposure to asbestos than the general population. Among the ways that bricklayers may have been exposed to asbestos are:

• hand mixing compound and mortar that contained asbestos fibers
• demolition of old walls containing asbestos
• being in the vicinity of construction work that disturbed asbestos
• cutting and breaking firebrick and mortar containing asbestos
• working with asbestos containing products

In addition, bricklayers of today also face significant risks of asbestos exposure as older buildings are refurbished. Many of these older buildings, particularly those built between 1930 and 1980, were built using materials that contained asbestos. Bricklayers who work on renovation and restoration of older buildings, factory buildings and old walls are at risk of being exposed to asbestos fibers released during demolition and renovation.

Bricklayers who specialized in building furnace walls and liners are at particular risk for developing mesothelioma and other asbestos related diseases. Furnace liners were made of firebrick, a specialized masonry product that contained asbestos. The bricks were cemented in place with furnace cement, which also contained asbestos fibers to increase its resistance to heat and fire. Firebrick was also often used for fireplaces and hearths in private and public buildings. Bricklayers who worked with firebrick and furnace cement were exposed to asbestos fibers while mixing the cement, and while cutting, shaping and drilling firebrick for installation.

Asbestos, a naturally occurring mineral, has extremely high resistance to heat, making it an ideal insulator. Unlike most minerals, asbestos breaks off into fine, thin fibers that can be woven into fabric and that mix easily into other materials like cement and mortar, increasing the tensile strength and heat resistant properties of those materials. Unfortunately, those very fine fibers easily become airborne and can be inhaled by anyone in the vicinity. Once in the body, asbestos fibers work their way into the lung tissues, and often become lodged there, causing illness, scarring and eventually, deadly diseases like mesothelioma.

Mesothelioma is a rare form of asbestos cancer with only one known cause - asbestos fibers. It affects the thin lining of tissue that surrounds the lungs, or in rarer cases, around the heart or the abdominal cavity. Mesothelioma has a long latency period. Those exposed to asbestos fibers may be diagnosed with mesothelioma as much as fifty years after their initial exposure to asbestos.

While researchers believe that those most at risk of developing mesothelioma are those who worked directly with asbestos fibers on a daily basis for many years, there are many cases of mesothelioma in people who were only exposed briefly to asbestos many years ago. There have been recorded cases of men who took a summer job back in high school or college helping with renovations or building walls, only to be diagnosed with mesothelioma or asbestosis decades later.

Even worse, asbestos fibers and dust cling to clothing, hair and skin. Those who worked with asbestos-containing products like firebrick and furnace cement often returned home covered with dust - and asbestos fibers. The asbestos fibers on their clothing and bodies became airborne at home, creating a secondary exposure hazard for their families and children.

Mesothelioma and asbestosis could - and should- have been prevented. It was widely known in the industry as early as the 1930s that asbestos caused serious lung disease, and was just as widely known that there were ways to reduce the inhalation of asbestos dust on the worksite. Rather than instituting the use of safety equipment or finding a safer substitute for asbestos, the companies who profited from its sale simply conspired to hide the dangers from their workers and from the public.

Because of this negligence, courts across the country have found hundreds of companies that exposed their workers to asbestos without proper warnings and training to be liable for the injuries caused by asbestos. Juries have awarded multimillion dollar settlements to plaintiffs who developed mesothelioma after working with or around products like firebrick and furnace cement.

If you or someone you know worked as a bricklayer, or have been involved in renovating or restoring old brickwork, you may have been exposed to asbestos. It is important that your doctor or medical professional be aware of your possible exposure, especially if you are experiencing chest pain, shortness of breath and chronic cough. If you have been diagnosed with mesothelioma or another asbestos-related disease, you may also be entitled to sue for compensation of your medical expenses and for your pain and suffering. To learn more about your rights to compensation if you have been diagnosed with mesothelioma, contact a mesothelioma attorney with experience in asbestos litigation.

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