Insulators - Mesothelioma Risks

Insulators and laggers specialized in covering high-temperature machinery and structures with insulating material to help minimize fire hazards. These professionals use insulating sheets and special heat resistant adhesives to thickly wrap pipes, ducts, walls and other items before use.

Many insulators were employed on ships. Steam boilers found on oceangoing vessels and discharge pressurized gas at high temperatures. Because the piping must be able to withstand extremely high pressures and fluctuations without deforming, it is typically made from metal. Exterior surfaces often became hot enough to present an extreme physical injury hazard and a fire risk. As a result, ship pipes were insulated.

For most of the 20th century, shipyard lagging, or insulation, that was applied to pipes was made of heat-resistant asbestos. Easily manufactured in sheets and mats, the low-cost microscopic fibers were ideal for creating insulation that could be wrapped around pipes. Additionally, asbestos was commonly used in tape and adhesives that were used to secure the insulation.

According to a study conducted by the Environmental Health Perspectives journal, laggers at one U.S. Navy shipyard in Japan found that workers who directly handed of asbestos-containing materials experienced a lung cancer mortality rate. The study also noted that asbestos products remained present in the shipyard until at least 1979. Insulators who worked at this facility until that time have an increased risk of developing asbestosis, mesothelioma or other asbestos-related diseases.

Insulators are also responsible for installing various types of building insulation. They often handled materials such as:

• Pipe insulation
• Window insulation
• Wall insulation
• Home insulation

Home insulation is often a loose-fill material that is manufactured in large chunks and can be easily blown or sprayed into crawl spaces or between boards. This creates a densely insulated space, but the machines used to blow insulation often send a large amount of particulate into the air where laggers could easily inhale it.

The well-known vermiculite mine in Libby, Montana, produced a large portion of the world’s vermiculite between 1919 and 1990. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), some of this vermiculite was used to produce attic insulation that was distributed to homes across the country. The EPA considers asbestos-containing insulation a highly hazardous material.

Resources for Insulators and Laggers

A long-term sampling of 162 career insulators in Belfast showed that deaths related to mesothelioma far exceeded expected figures. If you have been exposed to asbestos during work as an insulator or lagger, seeking a medical consultation with an experienced doctor is recommended. For assistance with making an appointment to speak to a physician in your area, please contact the Mesothelioma Center’s Doctor Match Program.

If you have already been diagnosed with mesothelioma and would like to review complimentary literature about the disease, treatment options, financial assistance options and clinical trials, please fill out the form on this page.