Machinists
A machinist is defined as a skilled worker who can efficiently operate all standard machine tools, read drawings, use precision measuring instruments and use hand tools. He or she specializes in making things out of metal or other solid material.
Other names for machinists are common as well, including fitters or turners (if they have earned their trade papers); tool makers - those who make the tools used in production; and process workers, those who operate a production machine.
The machinist must be patient and should be careful and precise in his/her work. A skilled machinist is often considered an artist in his own right.
Machinists and Asbestos
Machinists work in a number of industries including construction and shipbuilding. They also work as maintenance employees, perhaps creating new parts to replace old ones that no longer function properly.
For many decades, machinist shops were ripe with asbestos. That's because the process of machining metal involved abundant heat, and asbestos was used inside the shop to insulate the machinery and protect those inside from fire.
Most likely, other asbestos-containing products were also found inside the shop or factory, including pipe and boiler insulation, asbestos-containing cement, and many other similar products that may have resulted in exposure.
Alarmingly, at one time machinists also made use of protective gear that was fashioned from asbestos. The material was used so that the machinist would not be a victim of fires caused by the intense heat often generated by the machine. It wasn't unusual to find a machinist donning asbestos gloves, aprons, or even face masks. Such close proximity to asbestos made it easy to inhale dangerous fibers.
Decades ago, a machinist may have also been responsible for actually creating products that contained asbestos. For example, pumps and valves were finished using an asbestos and graphite gasket. This may have involved cutting a piece of the asbestos-graphite material to fit the valve. When repair work was necessary, removing an old damaged gasket may have been equally as dangerous as crafting a new one as the process of removing it may have caused friable asbestos dust to be released into the air.
Last modified: December 17 2007.
