Pipefitters
The definition of a pipefitter is one who lays out, assembles, installs, and maintains pipe systems, pipe supports, and related hydraulic and pneumatic equipment for steam, hot water, heating, cooling, lubricating, sprinkling, and industrial production and processing systems.
Generally, this title is applied to someone who does this work on large scale projects, such as large commercial buildings. A pipefitter that works on residential properties is usually referred to as a plumber, though their responsibilities are quite similar but on a different scale.
Pipefitters and Asbestos
The biggest danger a pipefitter faces in working with pipes is that, prior to the mid-1970s, most pipes were insulated with asbestos to keep them heat- and fire-resistant. That means pipefitters were exposed to the toxic mineral on an almost daily basis during the years before asbestos warnings were issued.
Back in those days, two types of pipe insulation were manufactured:
Air Cell
This type of insulation was a corrugated asbestos paper which looked like gray cardboard (trade names include Asbestocel and Carcycel, among others). This product was usually extremely high in concentration; about 50 - 90% asbestos was found in air cell insulation. It was often wrapped around air supply ducts.
Block Insulation
This type of insulation involved combining asbestos with other "binders" which were then hardened to create blocks for insulation. The outside may or may not have been covered with canvas or tar paper.
Amosite Sheeting:
This sheeting was made with amosite (a type of asbestos) that was processed and then covered with felt, mainly used for pipe insulation.
Laminated Asbestos Felt:
Also known as "asbestos sponge felt," this insulation was made with asbestos and magnesia.
Diatomaceous Earth with Asbestos Fiber:
This was a combination of diatomaceous silica (the remains of microscopic diatoms) and asbestos fiber that could withstand temperatures up to 1900° Fahrenheit. Used for very hot applications such as pipes in steel or power plants.
Hydrous Calcium Silicate: Known as "Calsil", this insulation was made primarily of lime and silica but included a small amount of asbestos that was included for mechanical purposes.
Joint/Elbow Fillers:
Also called "insulation cement" or "insulation mud", these fillers were made up of asbestos combined with bonding clays. This product was often poured into inaccessible spaces or used to seal pipe joints or elbows.
Like most construction workers of the early to mid-1900s, pipefitters were unaware that the asbestos so common in their jobs was dangerous and would eventually affect their health. However, many companies knew that their products were hazardous yet continued to market them as safe, so pipefitters and others who worked alongside them hardly ever wore protective clothing to avoid inhalation. Even today, pipefitters who work in generally safer conditions should be diligent about wearing masks or respirators when entering an older structure that may contain asbestos.
Last modified: December 17 2007.
