Plumbers are at risk of amianto exposure and for developing an asbestos-related illness, such as mesotelioma. Although amianto use is much less today, plumbers still work around older, amianto-containing pipes. Plumbers with amianto illnesses may be eligible for compensación through lawsuits and amianto trust funds.
Si a usted o a un ser querido le han diagnosticado mesotelioma, asbestosis, o cáncer de pulmón relacionado con el amianto, usted puede ser elegible para un beneficio sustancial compensación. There is currently over $30 billion in amianto Fondos fiduciarios creados para las víctimas de enfermedades relacionadas con el amianto. Fill out our form to get a free Financial Compensación Packet. You’ll learn about the experienced mesotelioma lawyers in your area, how to get paid in 90 days, how to file a afirmar for the amianto trust funds, and more.
Paquete de compensación financiera GRATUITO
- Información sobre despachos de abogados que recuperarán su INDEMNIZACIÓN MÁS ALTA
- Aprenda cómo cobrar en 90 días
- Solicite su parte de $30 mil millones en fondos fiduciarios
How Plumbers Are at Risk for Asbestos Exposure
Plumbers are responsible for many duties, including maintaining, repairing, and installing pipes and related fixtures used for waste disposal and water distribution.
Plumbers work in both commercial buildings and residential homes and sometimes work as part of a construction crew or work for a company responsible for repairing pre-existing plumbing problems.
Before the early 1980s, especially between the 1940s and the late 1970s, amianto often insulated boilers, pipes, water tanks, and other products that plumbers work with.
Items needed for plumbers to perform their jobs correctly were once made with asbestos, including tools, cement, valves, gaskets, welding rods, and more.
Plumbers sand down, cut, remove, install, and repair amianto-containing products to make pipes and other materials work correctly. These actions can release fibras de amianto into the air. Airborne fibras de amianto can be inhaled, resulting in damage and later illnesses in some people.
Are Plumbers Still at Risk for Asbestos Exposure?
Yes, plumbers are still at risk for amianto exposure on the job. Asbestos is no longer used in construcción but lingers in older buildings and materiales.
When plumbers work in older buildings, they may encounter old insulation, amianto cement, and other products with amianto. They can be exposed when cutting into, sanding, or otherwise manipulating old amianto pipes and other materials.
Old amianto pipes y amianto-insulated pipes pose the biggest exposure risk to plumbers. They cut into these pipes, which spreads fibras de amianto into the air. Without adequate protective gear, exposure is certain.
Asbestos Products Used By Plumbers
Even though these products are no longer made with amianto, older pipes and valves are still used today. Over time, the pipes can wear down, break apart, and release fibras de amianto.
These are some of the common products made with amianto that plumbers once handled regularly and may still encounter on jobs today:
- Insulation. Asbestos was once common in all types of insulation, including lagging, insulation that wraps around pipes carrying hot water or steam. Asbestos insulation was also found in boilers, ducts, and hot water tanks.
- Cement. Asbestos cement was also common in construction and was used to make many products, including pipes. When plumbers cut into old asbestos cement pipes, they risk exposure.
- Heat Shields. Water heaters and tanks often had asbestos heat shields around them to protect against heat exposure. Today, old heat shields can put plumbers at risk of exposure when they need to remove or replace them.
- Gaskets, Valves, and Pumps. Smaller pieces of equipment that go into plumbing systems can pose a risk to plumbers. Pumps, gaskets, valves, seals, and packing materials were often made with asbestos in the past.
- Joint Compound. Plumbers in the past often used joint compound that contained asbestos. Asbestos was used in these materials to resist heat and to add strength.
Manufacturers of Asbestos-Containing Plumbing Materials and Parts
Several manufacturers supplied amianto-containing products to plumbing and construction companies.
These manufacturers are generally responsible when plumbers develop an amianto illness. Some of the manufacturers that supplied amianto to plumbing and construction companies include:
- Celotex Corporation
- Certainteed Products Corporation
- Eagle-Picher Industrie
- Garlock, Inc.
- GAF Corporation
- Gypsum
- Keene Corporation
- John Crane
- The Flintkote Company
- Union Carbide
Studies on Plumbers, Asbestos, and Mesothelioma Risk
According to a 2007 study published by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and The Annals of Occupational Hygiene (AOH), plumbers run a high risk of amianto exposure while working and even after working, as fibras de amianto tend to stick to the hair, skin, and clothing.
The study indicates that maintenance workers, including plumbers, are exposed to amphibole amianto more often than other types of amianto.
Amphibole amianto was once considered highly valuable for commercial use. This type of amianto was used on parts and products that plumbers regularly come into contact with.
The American Cancer Society (ACS) states that amphibole amianto poses a higher risk of developing cancer when compared to other forms of the mineral.
During the study, samples obtained confirmed that at least 68% of the workers involved in the research were exposed to significantly high amianto levels.
Studies from Europe have also linked plumbers with higher rates of amianto exposure and illness. One study found high rates of asbestosis in British plumbers. Another found an increased risk of mesotelioma in 24 different occupations in Sweden, with plumbers topping the list.
Asbestos Lawsuits and Plumbers
Many plumbers filed demandas por mesotelioma against the manufacturers that supplied amianto to their job sites after developing the disease. The majority of plumbers who filed lawsuits have been successful in winning their cases.
$7 Million for Mesothelioma
Larry Stewart, who worked as a plumber from the late 1960s until he was diagnosed with mesotelioma in 2007, filed against Union Carbide and won over $7 million in economic and non-economic damages.
Stewart was responsible for grand-scale commercial and residential projects, which brought him into contact with drywallers. Drywallers once used amianto-containing joint compounds while working, and Stewart’s lawyer successfully proved that, on many occasions, Stewart breathed in fibras de amianto for long periods.
The joint compounds were manufactured by Hamilton Materials but obtained by Union Carbide, a company that mined amianto in Coalinga, California, and sold the amianto as “Calidria.”
During the lawsuit, Stewart’s amianto attorney showed proof that Union Carbide knew beforehand how dangerous amianto is yet made no attempt to warn people who worked with or around their amianto-containing products.
$8.45 Million for Mesothelioma Death
Robert Swanson died from mesotelioma after working as a plumber and a pipefitter. His career led him to be exposed to amianto repeatedly.
Swanson’s family sued suppliers of amianto products he used or was in contact with on his job sites. These included boilers, rope, cement, and gaskets made by Weil-McLain. The case went to trial, and a jury awarded the family $8.45 million for wrongful death.
What to Do if You Worked With Asbestos as a Plumber
If you worked as a plumber before the 1980s, you were at high risk for amianto exposure. Even later, plumbers risked exposure to older amianto products. Talk to your doctor about your risk factors and screenings for cancer and amianto illnesses.
A abogado especializado en mesotelioma can help if you get a diagnosis of an amianto illness like mesotelioma or lung cancer. They can review your work history and find companies responsible for exposing you to amianto.
You might be eligible to file a lawsuit or an amianto fondo fiduciario afirmar to seek compensación. An experienced asbestos attorney will explain your options and help you take the next steps.
Help and Resources for Plumbers
If you’ve been injured by mesotelioma, asbestosis, or amianto-related lung cancer, keep in mind that there is a good chance that you’ll qualify for considerable compensación. Don’t forget to fill out our form for our free Financial Compensación Packet, filled with information on the experienced amianto y mesotelioma attorneys in your area.
