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What is an Automotive Body and Glass Technician?
Automotive body and glass technicians install and repair automotive glass and make repairs to vehicles that have been damaged in collisions, by storms and in other situations. Some of the job tasks that automotive body and glass technicians may complete include:
- Remove scratches
- Remove dirt, loose glass and foreign matter from damaged areas
- Apply primer along the edges of windows or along the windshield
- Paint surfaces or equipment
- Apply urethane around the perimeter of glass
- Use tools and safety equipment as needed
- Inspect structural components of vehicles to identify potential problems
- Obtain replacement parts and install them
- Replace vehicle glass
- Remove parts and components from a vehicle
- Remove contaminated or damaged areas
- Replace moldings, trim and bumpers
- Adjust vehicle components according to specifications
- Replace worn, damaged or defective mechanical parts
- Cut materials according to specifications
- Reassemble equipment after repair
These workers primarily work in manufacturing plants or body shops.
How Can Automotive Body and Glass Technicians Get Mesothelioma by Occupational Exposure?
Asbestos was commonly used for to construct various automotive parts before the 1970s because this material is resistant to heat and durable. It helps prevent the vehicle from catching fire and protects the other components of the vehicle.
While asbestos was more prevalent in older vehicles, some newer models still contain products that contain asbestos in them. Brake pads and various components involved in the brake system are some of the most common culprits. The Occupational Safety & Health Administration issued a safety advisory that indicates that brakes and clutches may contain asbestos. It has specific requirements regarding how to assemble, inspect, disassemble and repair clutches and brakes to minimize this exposure risk.
Automotive body and glass technicians work with a variety of tools that could have contained asbestos, such as paints, primers, polishes and fillers. Additionally, they work with machines that produce dust and other particles, such as asbestos fibers. These fibers can become lodged in the body and attach to the abdomen, lining of the lungs or the heart. Over time, this can cause mesothelioma.
To decrease the likelihood of breathing in these dangerous materials, automotive body and glass technicians should wear paint suits, respirators and gloves. Body shops should be properly ventilated so that toxic fumes do not build up.
Locations in the United States for the Highest Employment Rates for Automotive Body and Glass Technicians
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, there were more than 177,000 professionals in this job. States with the highest employment level of automotive body and glass technicians are:
Similar Occupations as Automotive Body and Glass Technicians
Similar occupations as automotive body and glass technicians include the following:
- Aircraft and avionics equipment mechanics and technicians
- Automotive service technicians and mechanics
- Claims adjusters, appraisers, examiners and investigators
- Diesel service technicians and mechanics
- Glaziers
- Heavy vehicle and mobile equipment service technicians
- Painting and coating workers
Lawsuits and Settlements Involving Automotive Body and Glass Technicians and Mesothelioma
There have been several large verdicts in favor of workers in the automotive industry including:
- $81.5 million awarded by a Washington jury in 2017 against Genuine Parts to the estate of a man who used the friction products on personal vehicles
- $75 million awarded in 2017 by the Supreme Court of New York in favor of a woman and her spouse who worked in the automotive industry for more than 20 years
- $34 million by a Los Angeles jury in 2019 to a mechanic and his wife who filed a lawsuit against Ford Motor Co. after the man was exposed to brakes that contained asbestos
- $11 million by an Alameda County, California jury in a 2014 wrongful death case after finding that Pneumo Abex’s brakes that contained asbestos were defective and the company was negligent in causing a man’s mesothelioma.
- $6.825 million by a Hayward, California jury to a 69-year-old retired mechanic and his spouse in 2012 after the jury found Ford Motor Co. guilty of defectively designing products, failing to warn of defects in its products and negligence
Studies Related to Automotive Body and Glass Technicians and Asbestos
Some studies have been conducted regarding the correlation between automotive repair work and asbestos exposure. One such study was the Evaluation of asbestos exposure within the automotive repair industry: a study involving removal of asbestos-containing body sealants and drive clutch replacement, which conducted two independent assessments into airborne asbestos concentrations that occurred while completing automotive repair work on vintage vehicles. One assessment was conducted on the removal of a sealant that contained asbestos while the other involved servicing a drive clutch. Researchers found that these tasks resulted in comparable levels of asbestos exposure for repair work completed on brake components and gaskets.
Types of Asbestos Products Used by Automotive Body and Glass Technicians
Automotive body and glass technicians may have been exposed to asbestos in parts they worked with, such as:
- Auto body insulation
- Automatic and manual transmissions
- Brake pads, discs, shoes and drums
- Clutch facings and linings
- Gaskets
- Firewalls and engine hood linings
- Heater and radiator hoses
- Paints, sealants and glues
- Valves
Manufacturers of Asbestos Products Used by Automotive Body and Glass Technicians
Automotive body and glass technicians could have worked with asbestos-contaminated products made by the following manufacturers:
- Austin Auto Parts Inc.
- Canton Auto Parts, Inc.
- Federal Mogul
- Fisher Auto Parts, Inc.
- Ford Motor Co.
- Forest CITY Auto Parts Company, Inc.
- G & T Auto Parts of Mid Orange, Inc.
- General Motors
- Genuine Parts Company
- Globe Foreign Auto Parts, Inc.
- LAS Replacement Parts, Inc.
- L M Scanlon, Inc.
- Potsdam Auto Parts, Inc.
- Raymark Industries
- Ren Auto Parts
- Scanlonos Auto Parts, Inc.
