Asbestos Exposure for Plumbers and Pipefitters

Asbestos Exposure for Plumbers and Pipefitters

During its peak in the mid-to-late 20th century, asbestos was considered a “magic mineral” and repeatedly touted for its benefits. The general public assumed it was not harmful because they had no reason to believe otherwise.

Asbestos has many appealing qualities. It’s inexpensive but it’s also resistant to fire, heat and water. Therefore, it could shield nearly all building components from these potentially harmful elements.

There were many components to asbestos exposure in plumbing systems and pipefitting. Asbestos was used in nearly every aspect of construction – from buildings to ships and cars. The “magic mineral” was durable and could prevent early decay.

Plumbers and pipefitters, who regularly faced occupational asbestos exposure, also believed the mineral was safe as they were not provided with safety guidelines or protective equipment when in the presence of asbestos. 

Inevitably, the health risks associated with asbestos came to light: It is the only known cause of mesothelioma and can lead to other serious health problems such as lung cancer. The Environmental Protection Agency in 2024 banned the use of chrysotile asbestos, which is the most common form of the mineral and the most likely that plumbers were exposed to.

Despite the ban, a health crisis had started. The overuse of asbestos in the 20th century led to many plumbers and pipefitters being diagnosed with mesothelioma and other asbestos diseases.

Asbestos Exposure in Plumbing Systems and Pipefitting

Asbestos is present in homes, offices, entertainment venues, schools and more. It’s built into the walls, sealed in the floors, covered by the ceilings and more. There’s a long list of asbestos-contaminated materials — and an even longer list of trades affected by occupational asbestos exposure.

Plumbers and pipefitters are considered to be jobs at high-risk of occupational asbestos exposure. While both occupations have a significant risk, they do perform different jobs and can be exposed to material in various ways.

Asbestos exposure in plumbing systems and pipefitting is due to asbestos in many elements. Asbestos-containing materials can be found in:

All of these building components could contribute to asbestos in plumbing and the risk it poses for plumbers and pipefitters.

Find out where you may have been exposed to asbestos

A nation wide list of sites where you or a loved one may have come in contact with asbestos.

Select State...AlabamaAlaskaArizonaArkansasCaliforniaColoradoConnecticutDelawareFloridaGeorgiaHawaiiIdahoIllinoisIndianaIowaKansasKentuckyLouisianaMaineMarylandMassachusettsMichiganMinnesotaMississippiMissouriMontanaNebraskaNevadaNew HampshireNew JerseyNew MexicoNew YorkNorth CarolinaNorth DakotaOklahomaOregonPennsylvaniaRhode IslandSouth CarolinaSouth DakotaTennesseeTexasUtahVermontVirginiaWashingtonWest VirginiaWisconsinWyoming

Submit

How Plumbers and Pipefitters Were Exposed to Asbestos

Plumbers install and repair pipes, which includes unclogging pipes, repairing water heaters, and installing and repairing toilets. Pipefitters handle pipes designed to collaborate with high-pressure materials, such as chemicals, acids or steam.

To reach these pipes, plumbers and pipefitters often handled or removed asbestos-containing components and unknowingly sent toxic asbestos fibers into the air by:

• Tearing down walls or ripping up flooring to assess an issue
• Maneuvering through electrical wiring
• Working near or with insulation

Plumbers’ and pipefitters’ highest levels of asbestos exposure came from their removing old gaskets and then cutting and installing new gaskets. Asbestos insulation was also used to cover pipes, on the exterior around pipes. Plumbers and pipefitters often removed asbestos pipe covering to get to a pipe flange to replace a gasket and then sometimes replace the insulation.  

When installing or repairing pipes, the plumber or pipefitter likely handled asbestos compounds or disturbed asbestos used during installation or a previous repair.

All of these acts were often performed in tight, poorly ventilated spaces such as below sinks, in walls, and in tight closets. The cramped spaces meant workers were in closer contact to floating asbestos in the available oxygen.

If you handled building parts that included asbestos, brushed against them, in any way disturbed them, or were around other workers who did, then you may have released asbestos dust into the air around you. When these needle-like fibers break from the source, they become airborne and are prone to enter your body.

Secondhand Asbestos Exposure From Plumbing

The loved ones of plumbers and pipefitters were also possibly exposed to asbestos. Workers brought sharp fibers into the home. They were stuck to their clothes, skin, and hair.

Spouses, siblings, or children who hugged their loved ones could inhale fibers in the air. They could also wash the workers’ contaminated clothes and be exposed. This is called secondhand asbestos exposure.

Asbestos Exposure for Plumbers and Pipefitters Today

Old pipes can still contain asbestos as insulation or around gaskets. Homes that have not had pipes replaced since the 1980s or earlier – when asbestos use was highest – may present asbestos dangers to plumbers and pipefitters.

Legacy asbestos exposure can occur for today’s plumbers and pipefitters. They should wear protective equipment like gloves, masks, and disposable suits.

Identifying and Removing Asbestos in Plumbing

Asbestos is a fibrous material that can be white, gray, blue, or brown in color. The texture can be fluffy or stringy depending on the size and dimensions of the asbestos product or insulation.

Asbestos usually looks like woven cloth. However, it’s friable and brittle. When disturbed, asbestos can break apart and float in the air. This can lead to health issues for plumbers and pipefitters working on old plumbing.

Most plumbers today cannot identify asbestos without a professional’s help. Never work on pipes with a substance you cannot identify, and never try to remove the substance. It might be asbestos.

If you suspect asbestos is present, call an asbestos abatement team for help. They will properly remove or seal the mineral so you and others cannot be harmed.

Health Issues: Asbestos in Plumbing on Workforce

Asbestos in plumbing materials and components has led to severe health risks for anyone in this field. Plumbers and pipefitters are at high-risk for developing asbestos diseases. There are many types of cancer and other severe health issues caused by exposure to asbestos.

The main diseases caused by asbestos exposure are:

• Mesothelioma – a rare type of cancer caused only by asbestos
• Lung cancer
• Ovarian cancer
• Asbestosis – a lung-scarring condition that can be deadly

Mesothelioma Among Plumbers and Pipefitters

Numerous studies have either focused on plumbers developing mesothelioma or discussed the risks associated with the profession.

One study examined asbestos-related diseases in 153 plumbers and pipefitters who worked in construction. Researchers found that thickening on either side of the pleural space was a common occurrence among the group. This effect, which is a common symptom of pleural mesothelioma, accounted for 18% of the plumbers and pipefitters in the study.

Pleural mesothelioma, the most common type of mesothelioma, forms in the thin membrane between the lungs and chest wall called the pleura. The pleura consists of two sides, or tissue walls made up of cells. When pleural mesothelioma forms, a common side effect is thickening along one or both of the pleural cavity walls. 

This study is not the only scientific research connecting plumbing and pipefitting to mesothelioma:

• Another study, conducted in Italy, showed how the wife of a plumber developed mesothelioma through secondhand asbestos exposure.
• A different study that showed a woman had mesothelioma after being married to a shipyard plumber.
• A British study revealed that the asbestos exposure risk for plumbers and pipefitters was equal to that of electrical workers. 

Aside from mesothelioma, there are many other health risks associated with plumbers and asbestos. One of the most common is lung cancer. Just as asbestos fibers enter the body and become lodged in the chest cavity and develop into mesothelioma, they can cause malignancies in the lungs as well.

Asbestos Compensation for Plumbers and Pipefitters

Fortunately, victims of asbestos exposure have a legal right to file claims against the companies responsible for manufacturing asbestos and asbestos-containing materials. MesotheliomaGuide can connect you with experienced mesothelioma lawyers to handle your claim. 

Typically, mesothelioma claims can be lawsuits. These can lead to mesothelioma settlements or court verdicts, which can be multi-million-dollar payouts.

Another result is receiving payouts from asbestos trust funds. These are bank accounts with money set aside for plumbers and other people with mesothelioma. Companies that are bankrupt create asbestos trust funds – at the order of bankruptcy courts – to pay victims what they deserve.

Former for Pipefitter Receives $36.7 Million Mesothelioma Verdict

In 2021, a Louisiana court issued a $36.7 million verdict to a mesothelioma victim. The lawsuit was against Level 3 Holdings, Inc., and the victim was a former welder and pipefitter, two occupations linked to regular asbestos exposure.

Louisiana is considered a favorable state for victims of asbestos exposure. Many multi-million-dollar verdicts have emerged from courts in this state.

Help for Plumbers and Pipefitters Exposed to Asbestos

If you currently work or used to work as a plumber or pipefitter and have been diagnosed with mesothelioma, there is probably a link between the two. Connect with our patient advocates. They can help answer any questions regarding your asbestos exposure and its effects on your health. Contact Carl Jewett, our VA-Accreditted Claims Agent or Karen Ritter, our registered nurse. Both have helped many mesothelioma victims get answers to their questions.

Sources & Author

1. Asbestos-Related Disease in Plumbers and Pipefitters Employed in Building Construction. Mesothelioma Research Foundation of America. Retrieved from: http://mesorfa.org/about-meso/article12b.php. Accessed: 01/11/2023.
2. Plumbers, Pipefitters and the Difference Between Them. HomeAdvisor. Retrieved from: https://www.homeadvisor.com/r/plumbers-versus-pipefitters/. Accessed: 01/11/2023.
3. Domestic Asbestos Exposure: A Review of Epidemiologic and Exposure Data. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. Retrieved from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3863863/. Accessed: 01/11/2023.
4. Occupational, domestic and environmental mesothelioma risks in the British population: a case–control study. British Journal of Cancer. Retrieved from: https://www.nature.com/articles/6604879. Accessed: 01/11/2023.
5. Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved from: https://www.bls.gov/ooh/construction-and-extraction/plumbers-pipefitters-and-steamfitters.htm. Accessed: 01/11/2023.
6. Bulletin of the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics. Google Books. Retrieved from: https://books.google.com/books?id=8F8vaw0UcIcC&pg=RA1-PA48&lpg=RA1-PA48&dq=how+many+pipefitters+in+the+us+in+1980&source=bl&ots=wUmhcwWiZI&sig=ACfU3U0Osy-IZeAMVFRgLVWdKubsPjhzPg&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiv0JGig5_oAhVPTd8KHf1sC3IQ6AEwCnoECAkQAQ#v=onepage&q=how%20many%20pipefitters%20in%20the%20us%20in%201980&f=false. Accessed: 01/11/2023.

About the Writer, Devin Golden

Devin Golden is the senior content writer for Mesothelioma Guide. He produces mesothelioma-related content on various mediums, including the Mesothelioma Guide website and social media channels. Devin's objective is to translate complex information regarding mesothelioma into informative, easily absorbable content to help patients and their loved ones.