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Automotive Brakes and Mesothelioma

Mesothelioma is a rare cancer that affects those who have been exposed to asbestos. Naturally, a higher prevalence rate exists in those who worked regularly with asbestos. Occupations with the greatest risk of exposure include, but are not limited to, construction workers, workers in energy plants and oil fields, boiler workers, pipe fitters, shipyard workers and sailors, and automotive brake repair workers. At first glance it seems an odd juxtaposition - construction and plant occupations paired with the workers who fit brakes on a car for a living - but there is a commonality. Asbestos is one of the best insulators found in the world, and for decades has been used in brake and clutch linings to minimize heat from friction.

In fact, asbestos is still used to make brakes, even though substitutes exists. It is often reported that those who work on older cars should be aware of the danger of asbestos exposure, but even late model cars may have brakes that are lined with asbestos. If you work with automotive brakes, or have worked with automotive brakes in the past, there is a veritable risk that you have been exposed to asbestos.

Asbestos Dangers for Automotive Brake Repair Workers

During normal automobile use, asbestos brake linings wear down through friction, releasing asbestos dust just as sanding wood creates sawdust. Much of this dust is trapped in the brake housing. When the brake housing is opened, that dust is released into the air where workers can inhale or ingest it. Using a regular shop or home vacuum, or compressed air, to clean brake housings can also spread asbestos dust throughout the shop. Even something as simple as hitting a brake drum with a hammer can jar can disturb asbestos dust, which is readily inhaled. In addition, the dust can cling to hands and be transferred to food and swallowed, which increases the risk of developing peritoneal mesothelioma (cancer of the stomach lining). The dust particles can collect on clothing and in the hair, which can be carried home to expose spouses, children, and housemates to the deadly dangers of asbestos dust.

Precautions for Working with Asbestos Brakes

Occupational Safety and Health Administration requires certain precautions and safety measures for repair shops that do more than five brake repair jobs a year. These precautions include special methods of working with brakes and brake linings, plastic enclosures around brake systems to reduce the spread of asbestos dust, and cleaning up with a HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Air) filter vacuum. Unfortunately, at least one study has shown that these safety precautions are either not enough, or are not followed. In 2000, investigators from a Seattle newspaper collected samples of dust from the floors, tool bins, and work areas in 31 brake repair garages across the country. The results were disheartening. Asbestos was found in 21 of the shops tested, with concentrations of asbestos in the dust ranging as high as 63.8 percent.

Home Brake Repair and Asbestos

Replacing worn brake pads, linings, and shoes is a popular home automotive repair project, and it's one that could have unexpected deadly results. The government has been aware since the late 1990s that even casual exposure to asbestos dust can result in mesothelioma. Since there is no way to tell by visual inspection whether the brake linings in a particular vehicle are made of asbestos or another material, most asbestos experts recommend that auto owners opt for professional brake repair rather than risk exposure to asbestos. If you do choose to do your own brake repairs, the Environmental Protection Agency recommends that you avoid cleaning brakes with compressed air, and use pre-ground brake parts whenever possible to minimize the chances of inhaling asbestos dust.

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