Metal Workers - Mesothelioma Risks

Metal workers represent a large occupational category that includes occupations in which individuals shape, form or otherwise fabricate metal and metal products. Such occupations often require the employee to work with intense heat or may involve working directly with asbestos for insulating or fireproofing purposes. Regardless of its use, asbestos and asbestos-containing products are quite prevalent in the following metal works occupations:

• Welders
• Tinsmiths
• Blacksmiths
• Iron Workers
• Forge Men
• Metal Lathers
• Sheet Metal Workers
• Structural Metal Craftsmen

Working in a variety of settings from industrial plants to construction sites and shipyards, metal workers are a group that faced a considerable risk of asbestos exposure. The government has even recognized that mesothelioma cancer is an occupational hazard for metal workers. Since the symptoms of mesothelioma can take up to 50 years to arise, retired metal workers should assess current and past risks of asbestos exposure to protect themselves and their families.

Locations for Asbestos Exposure

Metal lathers and sheet metal workers often faced asbestos hazards while working on construction sites. Metal lathers typically engaged in duties such as hanging suspended ceilings, installing metal studs and corner strips. In some cases, this work was performed around insulated walls that contained asbestos. Metal lathing was typically covered in a type of cement, which was often thickened with asbestos. Asbestos cement presented one of the biggest risks of exposure for metal lathers. Sheet metal workers who installed duct work faced exposure from crumbling insulation within crawlspaces, walls and ceilings.

Sheet metal materials and the products used by structural metal craftsmen were sometimes sprayed or coated with asbestos to make them more resistant to heat. Cutting or sawing into these asbestos-treated metals released asbestos fibers into the air where they could be inhaled or become attached to the clothes of workers.

Other metal working occupations such as forge men, tinsmiths, iron workers and welders often use extreme heat to shape, mold, refine or join metal. The intense heat these workers must use require heat-resistant safety gear, much of which was made with asbestos prior to 1970s regulations. In addition, the walls and floors behind and around foundries, forges and welding areas were typically reinforced with asbestos-containing products. Examples of such protective materials include:

• Insulation
• Refractory materials such as bricks
• Floor tiles
• Asbestos gloves
• Asbestos aprons
• Asbestos face masks
• Asbestos cloth

Because older materials were manufactured with high levels of asbestos, many asbestos-containing products that were not removed after asbestos regulations were issued may still present a hazard for metal workers.

Resources for Metal Workers

Family members of metal workers faced a risk of secondary exposure to asbestos. During jobs where asbestos dust was collected on the workers' clothing, any family member coming into contact with the clothes could have been exposed. There have been many documented cases where hugs after work or laundry duties has led to exposure that later caused mesothelioma or asbestosis.

Any amount of asbestos exposure can cause an asbestos-related condition, but higher levels of repeated exposure are most associated with contracting a related disease. A highly friable substance once damaged, asbestos fibers become airborne when disturbed. Products containing asbestos that are subject to friction can send asbestos fibers into the air in the vicinity of the workspace. Crumbling or peeling asbestos products around older foundries, forges and equipment also present an occupational risk to metal workers.

Former metal workers should be aware of the symptoms associated with asbestos-related diseases so they can detect any early signs of development. If you're searching for more information on asbestos exposure and related diseases, request a free information packet. If you or a loved one has already been diagnosed with mesothelioma, we've created a Doctor Match Program for those seeking treatment with an experienced physician.