Stationary Engineers

Although the general risk of asbestos exposure is very low, some types of people are at a much higher risk of developing asbestos-related diseases. These people were usually employed in certain high-risk occupations in the peak period of asbestos use in America, between the 1940s and 1980s. Asbestos is no longer added to most products, but some groups of people are still at risk of exposure. These include certain types of construction workers, and maintenance and custodial workers.

Stationary engineers are one such group of maintenance and custodial workers who are still at risk of asbestos exposure, due to the fact that they may work in a building where asbestos is present. The risk may be increased for stationary engineers if they aren't aware of the presence of asbestos, because they're less likely to use protective equipment to prevent exposure.

Asbestos Exposure

The work of stationary engineers involves operating, maintaining, and repairing various types of stationary mechanical systems, including boilers and furnaces. They work in large facilities such as industrial factories, power plants, and petrochemical plants. That work involves contact with various types of heating systems, and this tends to be how asbestos exposure occurs for stationary engineers.

This all means that stationary engineers, depending on where they work, may still be at risk of asbestos exposure, because many older facilities still contain a vast amount of the substance in insulation and other materials. A public, commercial, or industrial building that was constructed prior to the 1980s may contain asbestos products in insulation, sheet metal in HVAC systems, any materials used around furnaces and boilers, pipe covering and lagging.

In the past, stationary engineers often used protective clothing that, ironically, was made with cloth woven from asbestos. Prior to the discontinuation of the use of asbestos cloth in most facilities, stationary engineers using asbestos-containing protective clothing were likely at an even higher risk.

Wearing protective clothing made from asbestos cloth presented a high risk of exposure, because it was worn close to the face, and because carrying out any activities while wearing the clothing meant that fibers were likely to become loose and airborne. Any rips, tears, or holes in asbestos fabric increased the risk to even higher levels.

Stationary Engineering Asbestos Uses

Asbestos has high tensile strength, extreme fire resistance, and resistance to physical and chemical degradation. These physical properties made the fibrous mineral very desirable for many industrial and commercial purposes. Asbestos, when added to metals, concretes, plastics, and other substances, could make those substances more efficient insulators, more fire-proof, and more resistant to very high heats.

The high heat resistance and fire-retardant qualities of asbestos made it an extremely popular substance for insulating areas that were subject to extremes of heat. Asbestos was used on surfaces, around boilers and furnaces, in moving parts of engines, heating systems, and HVAC systems, among other things. These are all components that a stationary engineer is likely to encounter, depending on where they work.

What Stationary Engineers Should Know

Two of the most well-known asbestos-related diseases are asbestosis and mesothelioma, both of which develop only as a result of asbestos exposure. Other cancers, including lung cancer and colorectal cancer can also develop as a result of asbestos exposure.

Asbestosis is a chronic lung disease that most often develops in workers who experience long-term, heavy exposure to inhalable asbestos. Inhalation of asbestos fibers causes disease because the fibers lodge deep in delicate lung tissue, causing chronic inflammation and irritation. Scar tissue eventually develops, and this scar tissue can't function as normal healthy lung tissue does. The result is that asbestosis causes reduced lung function, and pain and difficulty breathing.

Mesothelioma is a type of cancer, and unlike asbestosis, experts believe mesothelioma can develop following a much lower level of exposure. Mesothelioma can develop in the lining of the lungs, heart, abdomen or testicles. All these cancers are difficult to diagnose, and are also very resistant to various treatment options. These factors make mesothelioma a deadly disease with a mortality rate of nearly 100%.

For stationary engineers, who may still be at risk of asbestos exposure if they work in an older building, understanding the possible hazards is an important factor in staying safe at work. If you are aware of an exposure risk, take the necessary steps to protect yourself. If you're not sure if the risk exists, it's important to find out.

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