Insulators

For a number of years, those laborers now referred to as insulators were called "asbestos workers" because nearly all insulation products contained asbestos. In general, however, insulators are construction workers who specialize in the installation of insulation wherever it was needed. There are many types of insulation used for different applications, and most insulators specialize in a particular type of insulation.

During the years that the construction industry depended heavily on asbestos in nearly all of its products, insulation was the product that usually contained the highest levels of asbestos. In some cases, the concentration of asbestos in insulation was well over 50 percent.

Most people think of insulation as a material that keeps the cold out of their homes; however, it actually prevents heat from transferring in either direction. As such, insulation was widely used both to keep heat in and to keep cold in. Insulators might wrap pipes to keep them from freezing, work on HVAC systems, apply insulation to new or older construction to help regulate heat, or insulate boilers and heating pipes to keep the liquids or gasses that they carry at a consistent temperature.

Asbestos Exposure

Insulation containing asbestos might have been installed in sheets, as foam, as fibers, or as paint. It could be sprayed on, blown in, applied with a brush, wrapped around pipes, nailed to walls or spilled out of sacks into crevices and between walls. Insulators worked with asbestos every day, throughout the day. The most popular methods of applying insulation created high concentrations of asbestos fibers in the air. Those methods included:

• asbestos in aerosol sprays to be spray applied
• foam containing asbestos applied with a spray nozzle
• asbestos mixed with foam flecks or fluff blown into cavities and crevices
• asbestos paints rolled or sprayed onto walls or equipment
• foam sheets of asbestos cut and shaped to fit walls and pipes
• pre-formed blocks and tubes of asbestos foam for pipe insulation
• asbestos board and bricks that had to be sawed and sanded

Before the 1970s, few people understood the dangers of asbestos, particularly its inhalation. Insulators, like most construction laborers, used asbestos products without wearing any protective equipment to prevent the inhalation of asbestos fibers. When protective measures were taken, they usually included the use of paper masks, which were insufficient to filter out asbestos fibers.

For insulators who regularly worked with asbestos insulation in the past, the rates of mesothelioma are among the highest of any professions. Though the risk of asbestos exposure while on the job is now significantly lower, insulators who work on old homes or commercial buildings should be diligent about taking the proper precautions to avoid exposure to asbestos products.

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