Steam Fitters

Asbestos-related diseases such as asbestosis and mesothelioma are very rare in the general population. However, some people are at a much higher risk of developing asbestos-related diseases. Most of these people were employed in high-risk occupations between the 1940s and 1980s (in the peak period of asbestos use in America), or currently work in certain occupations that are still at risk of exposure.

Even though asbestos is no longer added to the vast majority of the products that once contained it, some groups of workers are still at risk of exposure. These include certain types of construction workers, as well as maintenance and custodial workers in some locations.

Steam fitters who work in buildings where asbestos is present are one such group of workers who might still be at risk of exposure. If the building is an older one there is a likelihood of asbestos having been used in a wide range of construction materials. The possibility is even higher for systems and components that steam fitters work with because asbestos was often used as an insulator and fire-retardant.

Asbestos Exposure

Steam fitters install, maintain, and repair heating and steam systems, which may include equipment such as radiators, boilers, furnaces, laundry and kitchen equipment, pipes, and small parts such as pumps, valves, traps, and gaskets. Many of these parts and appliances were made with asbestos-containing products, or were insulated with asbestos-containing insulation.

Exposure to asbestos and asbestos-containing dust may occur in the course of a normal working day, depending on where a steam fitter works, and what their specific job entails.

Steam fitters may encounter asbestos in pipe lagging used to provide heat shielding. One product often used as lagging was Monokote, a vermiculite-containing spray product manufactured by W.R. Grace & Co. Even though the company advertised the product as being free from asbestos, it may have contained up to 12% asbestos in some instances. Zonolite, another W.R. Grace product, was an insulation made with asbestos-contaminated vermiculite. This product, too, is one that steam fitters might have encountered, without realizing it contained asbestos.

Another exposure risk for steam fitters is asbestos cement, which was often used as surrounds for furnaces and boilers. The addition of asbestos improved the heat resistance of the cement, making it safer for use in high-heat locations.

Steam Fitting Asbestos Uses

Certain important physical properties of asbestos, including its high tensile strength, high resistance to flame, and its resistance to chemical degradation, made it extremely useful and desirable for a large number of different industrial and commercial purpose and processes. When added to metals, concretes, plastics, and other substances, asbestos improve their strength, fire resistance, and chemical resistance.

In particular, asbestos was added to construction products and materials that were used in locations that were routinely subjected to extremely high temperatures. This is why steam fitters are still at risk of asbestos exposure, even though asbestos is no longer added to most of the three thousand products that contained asbestos in the last century.

Because steam fitters may still be at risk, it's very important to know about the potential dangers of asbestos, and how you can safeguard your health if asbestos exposure is a risk.

What Steam Fitters Should Know

Two of the most well-known asbestos-related diseases are asbestosis and mesothelioma. Both of these are known to develop only as a result of asbestos exposure. These diseases aren't necessarily the most common asbestos-related diseases, however. Asbestos exposure can also cause other types of cancer, including lung cancer, colorectal cancer, and esophageal cancer.

Asbestosis is a chronic lung condition caused by prolonged, heavy exposure to asbestos fibers and dust. When inhaled, asbestos fibers can lodge deep in lung tissue, and the body is unable to expel them. Over time the fibers cause chronic irritation and inflammation, which eventually causes scar tissue to develop in the lungs. Scar tissue cannot function like normal healthy lung tissue, so people with asbestosis have reduced lung function and difficulty breathing, which is usually accompanied by pain and other symptoms.

Mesothelioma is a type of cancer that can develop after exposure to much smaller amounts of asbestos. Mesothelioma cancers can develop in the lining of the lungs, heart, abdominal cavity, or testicles. All are difficult to diagnose and are very resistant to various treatment options. For these reasons, most people who are diagnosed with mesothelioma have a poor prognosis, and the disease is almost always incurable.

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