Masons and Masonry
Masons are individuals who build structures with concrete, brick, or stone in an industry that is known as masonry. The profession of the mason is age-old; masons built the ancient pyramids of Egypt, Rome’s Colosseum, the Taj Mahal, the Great Wall of China, and any number of ancient, historic, and otherwise notable structures. Masons also build homes, offices, and other buildings that are still an important part of everyday life.
The most frequently used products that masons encounter each day include items like clay brick and concrete block. Brick is often considered man’s oldest manufactured product, used in construction as much as 6,000 years ago. Concrete blocks are more modern, made from a mixture of cement, sand, and crushed stone. Other materials regularly used by masons include mortars, adhesives, and additional products that are important to the structural integrity of a mason-built structure.
Masonry and Asbestos
Because bricks and other similar construction products must be sturdy and long-lasting, brick makers and manufacturers of concrete traditionally looked for ways to make their products more durable. For much of the twentieth century, asbestos was the ingredient that achieved that purpose.
Prior to the late 1970s, chrysotile asbestos was often added to bricks, concrete, and other complementary items, such as mortar mixes, to increase the life of these items. Anyone who worked with these products was probably exposed to asbestos while on the job, especially when these masonry items were grinded, sawed, or manipulated in some way that prompted airborne asbestos dust.
Because of scenarios such as this, construction workers, including masons, are among those tradesmen with the highest rates of mesothelioma, a serious asbestos-caused cancer. Mesothelioma is caused when thin, sharp airborne asbestos fibers are inhaled and become lodged in the mesothelium, the lining of several vital organs including the lungs, heart, and abdomen. A disease that can lay dormant for up to 50 years, it often surfaces long after exposure occurs. As mesothelioma does not respond well to treatment, the average patient survives less than 2 years after diagnosis.
Last modified: December 09, 2009.
