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How Can a Fire Inspector Get Mesothelioma by Occupational Exposure to Asbestos?
Fire inspectors examine buildings to detect fire hazards and determine the origin and cause of fires and explosions. Until the 1970s, many construction materials were made with asbestos. While asbestos is relatively safe when undisturbed, fires and explosions cause microscopic fibers of asbestos to break off and become airborne where fire inspectors and others could breathe them in.
Common duties of fire inspectors that could expose them to asbestos include:
- Searching buildings for fire hazards
- Inspecting fuel storage tanks and air compressors
- Collect and analyze evidence from scenes of fires and explosions
- Determine the origin and cause of a fire
- Document evidence at the scene
- Take photographs at the scene
Locations in the United States for the Highest Employment Rates for Fire Inspectors
According to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, there are currently 15,200 people employed as fire inspectors in the United States. States with the highest employment rates for fire inspectors include:
- Texas
- New Jersey
- New York
- Florida
- Illinois
Similar Occupations as Fire Inspectors
Similar occupations as Fire Inspectors include:
- Fire Inspectors
- Forensic science technicians
- Police and detectives
- Private detectives and investigators
Lawsuits and Settlements Involving Fire Inspectors and Mesothelioma
Since there are so few fire inspectors, there are not any known public lawsuits filed by fire inspectors regarding asbestos exposure. However, many settlements are kept confidential, so if a fire inspector made a claim of this nature, it is possible it could have been settled by the city where the inspector worked.
Fire inspectors may have claims for asbestos exposure that parallel those of firefighters since they often work in the same buildings. For example, New York City firefighters who responded to the 9/11 attacks filed a lawsuit in 2003 that resulted in a $657 million settlement after they alleged that they were not warned about the dangerous chemicals in the dust and debris on site. There likely would have been fire inspectors who were called in at this site as well.
In 2010, 49 firefighters and other employees sued the city of Everett, Washington after they were sent on a training exercise in buildings owned by the city and known to be contaminated with asbestos. The claim was settled for $750,000. Fire inspectors must complete training exercises, too, so that they can study burn patterns and other dynamics involved in fires, so if they were sent to such areas, they may have similar claims.
Studies Related to Fire Inspectors and Asbestos
While there are no known studies regarding fire inspectors and asbestos, there have been a few studies regarding asbestos exposure and firefighters, who work in some of the same areas as fire inspectors. Additionally, while firefighters may be on the scene for a few minutes or even hours to suppress fires, fire inspectors may be at the same scene for longer periods of time to collect information and analyze the site, which can place them at further risk for breathing in asbestos fibers.
In 2013, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health made a novel finding regarding the increased likelihood of firefighters to develop mesothelioma. Their researchers concluded that the rate was twice as high for firefighters than it was for the general population. Firefighters were also more likely to develop respiratory, digestive or urinary system cancers.
Types of Asbestos Products Used by Fire Inspectors
Fire inspectors work in damaged buildings where various construction materials have been disturbed or crumbled. They may come into contact with a variety of construction materials that contain asbestos, such as:
- Roofing shingles or felt
- Ceiling tiles
- Drywall board, tape or compound
- Flooring underlay and flooring tiles
- Mortar, masonry cement powder or joint compound
- Paint and spray-on textural coatings
- Glues, adhesives and sealants
- Cement floors, sheets and siding
- Vinyl tiles, flooring and wallpaper
- Wall and ceiling insulation
- Pipe, duct and attic insulation
- Insulation for boilers, furnaces and appliances
- Electrical wiring insulation
- Plastic and millboard for electrical panels
- Fireproofing materials
Manufacturers of Asbestos Products Used by Fire Inspectors
Major suppliers of asbestos-containing products that Fire Inspectors may have been exposed to include the following:
- B.B. Lummus Global Inc.
- AC & S
- P. Green Industries
- Abex Corporation
- Amatex Corporation
- Armstrong World Industries
- Babcock and Wilcox
- Bestwall Gypsum
- Borg Warner Company
- E. Thurston & Sons
- Celotex
- Crown Cork and Seal
- Dana Corporation
- Eagle Picher Industries Inc.
- Ehret Magnesia
- J. Bartells Company
- Federal Mogul Corporation
- Flexitallic Gasket Company
- Foster Wheeler
- Foseco
- GAF Corporation
- Garlock
- Harbison Walker Refractories Co.
- K. Porter Inc.
- Honeywell Heating
- Ingersoll Rand
- JT Thorpe Inc.
- John Crane
- Johns Manville
- Kaiser Aluminum
- Kelly Moore Paint Co
- Kentile Floors
- Leslie Controls Inc.
- H. Detrick Company
- National Gypsum
- Owens Corning Fiberglass
- Pacor Incorporated
- Pittsburgh Corning
- Plibrico Company
- Porter Hayden Company
- Rapid American Phillip Carey Manufacturing
- Republic Powdered Metals
- Rock Wool Manufacturing Co.
- Shook and Fletcher
- The Flintkote Company
- UNARCO
- Union Carbide
- R. Grace & Co.
- Western MacArthur
