Insulators and Asbestos
As is evident by their title, insulators are workers who are responsible for the installation of insulation. For many years, when the use of asbestos was prevalent, insulators were simply referred to as "asbestos workers." These individuals handled dangerous asbestos on a daily basis, often sawing, cutting, drilling, or sanding the asbestos to achieve a proper fit, resulting in the release of an abundance of dangerous asbestos dust and fibers. Because of the jobs they performed, these workers were highly susceptible to developing asbestos-caused illnesses such as pleural plaques, asbestosis, and mesothelioma.
For many decades, asbestos was considered a miracle material for insulating. Because of its amazing heat- and fire-resistant properties, asbestos was used to insulate any number of products, from furnaces and boilers to ovens, refrigeration units, electrical wires and just about any other product that produced a large amount of heat and was at risk for catching fire. Insulators were responsible for the safety of such products, which were often installed in office buildings, hospitals, schools, and plants and factories.
Insulators also worked with the builders of commercial structures and homes, affixing sheets of insulation to walls in order to keep these buildings or homes both warm and safe. They may have also used blown-in loose-fill insulation inside these structures, which was very hazardous to the unprotected worker. Decades ago, most of the insulation products used in homes and other structures did indeed contain asbestos, and today, many homeowners find asbestos-containing insulation in their walls and attics during home remodeling projects.
Also, due to the nature of their work, insulators often worked in small, cramped spaces with poor ventilation, making it extremely easy to inhale any asbestos fibers that may have been circulating through the air.
Though asbestos product manufacturers, including those who made insulation, knew of the dangers of asbestos long before the warnings of the 1970s were issued, insulators were usually not made aware of these dangers. Therefore, many of them worked without benefit of protective gear and years later are paying the price with their lives. Insulators have historically had one of the highest incidences of asbestos disease and many have received large compensation awards from the companies who once manufactured dangerous asbestos-containing insulation products.
