AsbestosAsbestos Industry
Who is at Risk?Iron Workers
History and Background
Iron workers are those men and women employed in the construction of industrial, commercial, and large residential buildings. They can also work on projects such as towers, stadiums, and pre-fabricated metal buildings among others. A stereotypical image of an iron worker conjures up the view of a man or woman walking across metal I-Beams hundreds of floors up during the construction of a downtown high-rise. Though this picture is what most people will think of, iron workers also demolish buildings and install and remove heat-insulation materials, they also create re-bar, and maintain buildings and construction equipment (e.g. cranes).
Tasks Putting Iron Workers at Risk for Asbestos Exposure
Any occupation that is located within the field of construction carries with it a risk of asbestos exposure. Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral that was widely used in construction because it is extremely strong and heat and fire-resistant. It has become known that asbestos particles are hazardous to your health if they are inhaled (as described below). While its usage has been limited in the past couple of decades, older structures undoubtedly contain it, even today.
Iron workers often worked directly with asbestos. They handled asbestos-slate board, and the heat-insulation products that they installed were often made with asbestos. These pieces of insulation would have to be measured and cut to fit specific locations resulting in dust and particles getting thrown into the air. Also, upon construction most I-Beams were sprayed with asbestos-containing insulation so that they would be able to withstand possible fires and in effect save the building from collapse. Whenever these beams would need to be inspected or maintained, the asbestos insulation would be scraped off and then re-applied afterwards, again putting dangerous particles in the air.
As part of the construction world, iron workers would also be exposed to asbestos because of the work that others were doing. For instance if a worker was cutting asbestos paper, that dust would dissipate throughout the entire structure, exposing everyone located within the room or building, depending on the circumstances.
Iron Workers At Risk for Mesothelioma and Other Asbestos Diseases
By the mid 1970s, strong evidence was uncovered regarding the health dangers associated with prolonged exposure to asbestos. Many who had worked with asbestos for extended periods of time were coming down with pulmonary diseases (such as mesothelioma, lung cancer and asbestosis) from breathing asbestos dust.
The asbestos related diseases include:
- Mesothelioma: a type of cancer only caused by asbestos exposure that attacks the lining around the lungs and/or heart and/or abdomen. This cancer is not in the organs themselves, though untreated it will spread. The most common form is pleural mesothelioma (lung lining), then peritoneal mesothelioma (stomach lining), and then pericardial mesothelioma (heart lining).
- Asbestos Related Lung Cancer: while lung cancer can come from numerous sources, asbestos exposure can lead to the formation of a malignant tumor that blocks the air passages (common for smokers who were exposed to asbestos).
- Asbestosis: a pulmonary condition, only caused by exposure to asbestos, where scar tissue builds up in the lungs causing breathing problems and low blood flow.
The diseases associated with asbestos are similar in that their symptoms often do not appear for many years after exposure. It is not uncommon for someone to develop lung cancer after a 10 year lag between onset and initial exposure. Asbestosis and mesothelioma often do not become apparent for nearly 30 or 40 years after the initial exposure to asbestos. Common symptoms include: difficulty breathing, chest pains, and a dry hacking cough that sometimes contained blood. These diseases are usually fatal.
The health problems associated with asbestos were not just isolated to people who worked with the product. The asbestos dust would spread easily through the air putting workers who never used it at risk. Many family members were at risk as well because workers would return home with the dust on their clothes, shoes and even hair.
