How Are Insulation Workers Exposed to Asbestos?

Insulation workers were exposed to asbestos, not only from their work but from the work of others around them. All trades work together. Specifically, with regard to what an insulator would do, they were in charge of insulating. They are insulators, and what do they use? Asbestos. And asbestos came in many different forms for an insulator. It could be in a powder form; they would rip open a bag and just the mere ripping open of the bag would create dust, just coming out of the bag.

Then they would pour the powder into a bucket and the pouring of the powder into a bucket would create more dust. Then they would mix it with water and it would create a mud-like product. That insulation would then be applied to pipes. It could be applied to equipment like boilers, pumps, or valves, really anywhere on a job site that required insulation, this mixture could be used.

In addition, insulators would use what they call a pipe covering. And it would be two halves, like a half moon, that could open up. They were hard sleeves that could go over a pipe and the insulators would cut it to fit. Oftentimes, using this in conjunction with the powder mixture. Many times they would use the powder mixture on an elbow of a pipe section, while using the half-moons on the pipe itself.

Insulators could also use blankets. There were blankets constructed of asbestos. They would use these in addition to pipe covering, or in lieu of pipe covering. And the insulators did not work alone, as I mentioned, they would follow the steamfitters, who were there before them, putting the piping and equipment together. In doing so, the steamfitters would be fabricating gaskets, or cutting packing and gaskets. These products contained asbestos.

Insulators would be working side by side with the steamfitters and asbestos doesn’t know what trade is using the product. Asbestos only knows to go into the air and it is breathed in by anybody who’s in proximity of the product. So again, it’s not just the insulator and the insulator materials, but any of the products being used around them.