The risk of asbestos-related disease is low for the general public, but some groups of workers are still at risk of exposure to asbestos. Generally, those who were most at risk of asbestos exposure in the past were those who worked in construction, maintenance or custodial trades, and in shipyards. This is because of the heavy use of asbestos in the construction and shipyard industries between the 1940s and 1980s.

The masonry profession, which involves building structures made from stone, is a profession that had an increased risk of asbestos exposure during the decades of asbestos use. Masonry workers do not have a high risk of asbestos exposure today, but those who work in older homes and commercial, public or industrial buildings should take precaution considering these buildings may contain asbestos.

People working in masonry prior to the 1980s may have been exposed to asbestos in the course of a normal workday if they did not use protective safety equipment to prevent exposure. For masonry workers, asbestos exposure risks can come from working with older heat-resistant bricks, cement and similar manufactured products. Asbestos was often added to such products to improve their heat tolerance and stability.

While construction products are no longer manufactured using asbestos, masonry workers may still be exposed if they are involved in repair, maintenance or removal of stonework that contains asbestos.

One issue of particular concern for masonry workers is that their work often involved cutting, breaking, and sanding bricks and other asbestos-containing products such as cement sheets and blocks. These types of activities often produced quantities of asbestos-laden dust, which could be inhaled or ingested by anyone in the area. Even those wearing masks may have been at risk, because tiny asbestos fibers are thousands of times smaller than a human hair, and may have been able to penetrate some dust masks.

Many masonry products, such as bricks, cement products and mortar mixes, contain a type of asbestos known as chrysotile. The common belief among many people has been that chrysotile asbestos is much less dangerous than other types, however the results of some studies have indicated that this is not necessarily the case. Chrysotile asbestos is capable of causing serious diseases, although perhaps at a slightly lower rate than amphibole asbestos.

Asbestos is a fibrous mineral that possesses a natural resistance to heat and fire. Prior to the 1980s, asbestos was often added to construction products to provide strength, stability and thermal insulation to the materials. This was true of both bricks and mortar mixes. Asbestos was added to these products to provide increased thermal stability in locations where extreme heat was a concern.

Masonry workers involved in building construction weren't the only ones who may have been exposed to asbestos. Masonry workers involved in the construction of structures such as furnaces, kilns and industrial or commercial ovens may also be at risk of developing asbestos-related diseases.

Mesothelioma is a rare cancer caused almost exclusively by asbestos exposure. It may take a mesothelioma patient between three and five decades to present noticeable symptoms after initial exposure occurred. This means that masonry workers who were exposed prior to the 1980s (by which time most uses of asbestos were discontinued) may appear healthy yet still be at risk of developing this type of cancer. Additional information about mesothelioma symptoms, treatment and legal options may be found through a complimentary comprehensive packet offered by Asbestos.com. Please click here to receive your copy.

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