Plasterers

Even though almost all uses of asbestos have been discontinued, some groups of workers are still at risk, simply because asbestos use was so widespread in the twentieth century. The risk is particularly great if workers aren't aware the risk exists, as they are less likely to take precautions to prevent exposure in such cases.

Plasterers were and are still at risk of asbestos exposure. During the 1950s and 1960s in particular, plasters and mixes containing asbestos were used very heavily, particularly in residential construction. Even though asbestos is no longer added to plasters and mixes, plasterers may still be at risk if they are working on renovations in an older home that involve working with old plaster. In most states there are regulations concerning the removal of asbestos-containing products, but in residential homes in particular is it easy for those regulations to go unnoticed.

Asbestos Exposure

Prior to the 1980s, asbestos was often added to construction and industrial products to provide strength, stability, and thermal insulation to the materials. Asbestos was added to many different types of plaster mixes for these reasons. Plasters were also added as decorative elements to walls and ceilings, particularly in the 1950s and 1960s.

Another important issue plasterers should be aware of is that many construction materials products, including some types of plaster, contained a type of asbestos known as chrysotile. Many companies adding this type of asbestos to their products claimed that it was much less dangerous than other types. However, the results of some studies have indicated that this is not true. In fact, chrysotile asbestos is capable of causing serious diseases, just as other types of asbestos are.

All of this means that you can't discount the risks of asbestos exposure if your exposure was to chrysotile asbestos, or to products such as Zonolite or Monokote. A small amount of exposure to any kind of asbestos, or even to products contaminated with asbestos, can be dangerous. If you've ever worked around materials that are suspected to contain these substances, protecting your health is a primary concern.

Plaster Asbestos Uses

Asbestos-containing plasters were used as early as the 1920s. Asbestos was added to plasters and plaster mixes to improve the durability, thermal stability, and fire resistance of the finished plaster. The plaster was often used to add decorative elements to a home, and the way in which plaster was applied to walls and ceilings presented a high exposure risk for plasterers working with the materials. Asbestos plasters were usually sprayed onto surfaces or laid with trowels. Sheets of asbestos-containing cement paneling were often laid using layers of asbestos plaster between the cement layers, to provide additional stability.

Plasterers were also likely to encounter asbestos-like or asbestos-contaminated materials such as Zonolite (a granular insulation product) and Monokote (a spray-on plaster). Both were produced and marketed by W.R. Grace.

Plasterers may also have encountered asbestos in cement boards, insulation, caulk, fillers, and adhesives, and other such materials they might come into close contact with during their work day. Even if a plasterer didn't use asbestos-containing plaster, they may still have been exposed to asbestos if the ceiling or walls they were plastering contained asbestos.

What Plasterers Should Know

Exposure to asbestos is the sole cause of mesothelioma and asbestosis. Mesothelioma is a type of cancer that can originate in the membrane lining the lungs, heart, or abdominal cavity. These asbestos cancers develop three to six decades after initial exposure, and can develop after a relatively small amount of exposure. Asbestosis is a chronic lung disease that results from more prolonged or heavier exposure to asbestos, and has a shorter latency period. This disease causes chronic lung inflammation and irritation, and leads to difficulty and pain when breathing.

Both diseases are ultimately fatal, although asbestosis is a less aggressive disease. However, while many people with asbestosis can live with the disease relatively comfortably, mesothelioma is a deadly cancer that is resistant to most treatment options, and has a mortality rate of virtually 100%.

The long latency period of mesothelioma in particular means that plasterers who were exposed towards the end of the twentieth century might still be at risk of developing the cancer even if they don't yet show any disease symptoms. This is an important aspect of asbestos exposure to be aware of, as early diagnosis of asbestos-related diseases can improve prognosis.

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