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How a Sheet Metal Worker Can Get Mesothelioma by Occupational Exposure to Asbestos
Sheet metal workers fabricate or install products made from metal sheets, including ducts used in heating and air conditioning systems. Sheet metal consists of steel, aluminum or other alloyed metal that is used in manufacturing and construction. Therefore, steel workers could have been exposed to asbestos in factories or on construction sites.
There are various types of sheet metal workers. For example, fabrication sheet metal workers made precision sheet metal parts for specific industries, such as medical devices or power generators. These workers often work in factories. These workers would have been more likely to be exposed to asbestos on the finish of metal sheets or from construction materials that were used to make the factories where they worked. Welding, installing metal studs and drilling into cement often caused more asbestos to form in the air.
Maintenance sheet metal workers repair and clean ventilation systems. These workers likely would have been exposed to asbestos from HVAC components that contained or were insulated with asbestos.
Installation sheet metal workers install metal sheets to install sheet metal, such as metal roofs, siding and gutters. They may also have worked aboard ships where gaskets, valves, pumps, floor tiles, ceiling tiles, roofing materials and other products contained asbestos where these workers may have come into contact with them.
Common job duties of sheet metal workers include:
- Select appropriate types of metal sheets according to specifications
- Measure and mark dimensions and reference lines on metal sheets
- Drill holes in metal for bolts, rivets and screws
- Install metal sheets with supportive frameworks
- Anchor large sheet metal parts
- Fasten seams or joints by bolting, riveting, welding or soldering
- Fabricate or alter metal components at construction sites
Locations in the United States with the Highest Employment Rates for Sheet Metal Workers
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, there are currently 143,000 people currently employed as sheet metal workers. With an expected growth rate of 8% from 2018 to 2028, there will soon be many more. States with the highest employment rates for sheet metal workers include:
- California
- Texas
- Florida
- New York
- Illinois
Similar Occupations as Sheet Metal Workers
Some occupations that are similar to sheet metal workers include:
- Assemblers
- Boilermakers
- Fabricators
- Glaziers
- HVAC workers
- Insulation workers
- Metal and plastic machine workers
- Roofers
- Solar photovoltaic installers
- Tool and die makers
- Welders, cutters, solderers and brazers
Lawsuits and Settlements Involving Sheet Metal Workers
There have been a few cases involving sheet metal workers and other metal workers who were exposed to asbestos and filed a lawsuit based on this exposure. For example, the family of a former steel mill metal worker was awarded $2 million after a court found Oglebay Norton, Co. negligent in exposing workers at a steel mill in Reading, Pennsylvania to its asbestos-containing products.
A U.S. Navy metalsmith who was diagnosed with an asbestos-related lung cancer in 2005 was awarded $21 million against several manufacturers of valves, gaskets and insulation products that he was exposed to during his Navy career.
Studies Related to Metal Works and Asbestos
The Sheet Metal Occupational Health Institute Trust found that 32% of union workers in the sheet metal industry who were employed between 1986 and 1990 had lung abnormalities that were consistent with occupational lung diseases. Later research showed this rate drop to 21% in later years, indicating that increased safety measures used in the industry were helping.
The Occupational Health Program of Montefiore Medical Center and the Albert Einstein College of Medicine conducted a study in 1982. Researchers found that New York City sheet metal workers who constructed buildings were exposed to asbestos at dangerously high levels. Much of the asbestos exposure occurred from spray-on insulation, a product known to be used in the construction of the original World Trade Center.
Types of Asbestos Products Used by Sheet Metal Workers
The metal that sheet metal workers interacted with may have contained asbestos. Metal was often sprayed or coated with an asbestos finish to make it resistant to heat and more durable. Additionally, the machinery sheet metal workers worked with may have been insulated with asbestos. Additionally, the steel mill or aluminum plant where they worked may have been constructed with asbestos materials, such as insulation, asbestos cement, floor and ceiling tile and asbestos bricks.
Some sheet metal workers worked on or installed heating and air conditioning systems and ducts that may have included asbestos. Others worked on construction sites or ships where asbestos products were prevalent.
Sheet metal workers may have also worn protective clothing that was made with asbestos, such as:
- Aprons
- Gloves
- Helmets
- Jackets
- Masks
- Shields
Manufacturers of Asbestos Products Used by Sheet Metal Workers
Some of the manufacturers that may have used asbestos products that sheet metal workers were exposed to include Johns Manville and Kaiser Aluminum, both of which have established asbestos trusts funded with more than $1 billion to pay damages to claimants adversely affected by their products.
