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How Can a Carpenter Get Mesothelioma by Occupational Exposure to Asbestos?
Asbestos was used prominently in construction during the 1900s. It was found in a variety of construction materials ranging from floor tiles, roof shingles and nearly everything in between. Asbestos is resistant to heat and fire and is durable, so it was often considered ideal for inclusion in renovation projects to homes and commercial buildings. Carpenters often handled drywall and sometimes cut molding and insulation that contained this dangerous material. Carpenters sometimes removed floor and ceiling tiles to perform their jobs, and these tiles sometimes contained asbestos in them. When materials containing asbestos are cut or disturbed, asbestos dust can form. Microscopic asbestos fibers are breathed in and then stuck to the lungs.
Even if carpenters were not exposed from the work they did directly, they could have still breathed in asbestos fibers that were in the air they breathed from other construction materials on the job site. Carpenters often help during the demolition phase and may remove old materials that contain asbestos. Carpenters could be exposed to asbestos when completing these job duties.
Carpenters and other workers who worked in environments with a high concentration of asbestos dust also could have brought the dust home where people in his or her household could have experienced secondhand exposure to asbestos.
Carpenters often complete various tasks. Common job duties for carpenters include:
- Follow blueprints and building plans
- Install structures and fixtures like windows, doors and molding
- Measure and cut wood
- Install drywall
- Install wooden concrete forms for cement footings or pillars
- Shape wood and other building materials
- Erect scaffolding for buildings
- Replace damaged framework, structures and fixtures
- Use hand and power tools
- Fasten building components together
- Inspect work for quality and accuracy
Locations in the United States for the Highest Employment Rates for Carpenters
There are currently more than 1 million carpenters employed in the United States, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. This job has an expected growth rate of 8% from 2018 to 2028, which is faster than the average occupational projection.
States with the highest employment rates for carpenters include:
- California
- New York
- Florida
- Texas
- Pennsylvania
Similar Occupations as Carpenters
Similar occupations as Carpenters include the following:
- Cement masons
- Construction and building inspectors
- Construction helpers and laborers
- Drywall and ceiling tile installers and tapers
- Flooring installers
- General maintenance and repair workers
- Insulation workers
- Millwrights
- Roofers
- Tile and marble setters
- Woodworkers
Lawsuits and Settlements Involving Carpenters and Mesothelioma
Carpenters and other construction workers have filed lawsuits against asbestos product manufacturers and other parties legally responsible for their asbestos exposure. The family of a deceased carpenter filed a lawsuit in 2008 against 68 asbestos companies, alleging the companies were responsible for the carpenter’s exposure to asbestos because they did not adequately test them before distributing them throughout the country and for failing to warn him and other consumers of the known dangers of asbestos.
A New York jury awarded $8 million to the widow of a carpenter who worked near drywall crews that sanded joint compound that contained asbestos. He developed testicular mesothelioma due to the occupational exposure. The decision was appealed and upheld in 2016.
An Alameda County jury awarded $6.5 million to a woman who was exposed to asbestos secondhand as a child. Both of her parents worked at USX Corporation in the 1940s. Her mother was a ship’s carpenter’s assistant and her father was a welder. They brought asbestos fibers home with them, exposing her to the dangerous mineral at home. The woman was diagnosed with mesothelioma.
Studies Related to Carpenters and Asbestos
There have been several scientific studies on the connection between asbestos exposure and carpenters, as well as the prevalence of asbestos in construction materials. In a 1983 study, researchers found that more than 50% of the buildings inspected included asbestos from sprayed-on insulation. While the workers’ breathing levels showed asbestos fiber concentrations of less than 2 fibers per cubic centimeter at the beginning of the project, these levels jumped to 16.4 asbestos fibers per cubic centimeter after workers removed the insulation.
A 2010 case study involving a 55-year-old carpenter with a pleural effusion in his lungs could not identify a medical reason for his condition. However, researchers found that he was exposed to asbestos for six months in the early 70s when he worked with roof sheets made of asbestos cement.
The study entitled “Past and current asbestos exposure and future mesothelioma risks in Britain: The inhaled Particles Study” that appeared in the International Journal of Epidemiology found that carpenters are more than 34 times more likely to develop mesothelioma than members ofhte general population.
Types of Asbestos Products Used by Carpenters
Since carpenters are often present at the first stage of the construction process and remain until the end, they may have been exposed to asbestos from any number of products used during construction, including:
- Adhesives, bonding agents and glues
- Cabinet liners
- Cement powder and masonry dust
- Drywall and drywall tape
- Fire bricks
- Fireproof lining in brick fireplaces
- Floor tiles
- Insulation
- Joint compound
- Mortar
- Paint
- Plumbing pipe wraps
- Shingles
Manufacturers of Asbestos Products Used by Carpenters
Several different companies manufactured products that were commonly used by carpenters. For example, Congoleum Corporation produced asbestos floor products. U.S. Gypsum Company manufactured a variety of construction materials that contained asbestos, including roofing products, adhesives, cement and plaster. Both of these companies formed asbestos trust funds during the bankruptcy process. Georgia-Pacific Company also manufactured asbestos-containing construction materials, including joint compound and drywall adhesive.
Other manufacturers that made products that contained asbestos and were used in the construction industry include the following.
- Abex Corporation
- Celotex Corp.
- CertainTeed Corporation
- GAF Corporation
- Garlock Sealing Technologies
- Johns Manville
- T. Thorpe and Son, Inc.
- National Gypsum Corporation
- Owens Corning Corporation
- Pittsburgh Corning
- UNARCO
- Union Carbide
- R. Grace & Co.
