AsbestosAsbestos Industry
Who is at Risk?Roofers
History and Background
Roofers are a group of carpenters who specialize in the installation and repair of roofs. About two-thirds of all roofers are self-employed, while the rest work for larger construction companies. There are two basic kinds of roofs: flat and pitched (sloped) and most roofers are well trained in order to work with either kind of roof. Flat roofs are found usually in larger projects such as office buildings while pitched roofs are more likely to be found in smaller buildings and personal residences.
Tasks Putting Roofers at Risk for Asbestos Exposure
Until the past couple of decades, many roofing products were made with asbestos, a naturally occurring mineral that can be hazardous to one's health (as described below). The reason was that it was used is that it is very strong, durable and heat and fire resistant, thus an almost perfect product for roof-construction. Roofers were exposed to harmful asbestos dust through working with these asbestos containing products. They would have to saw or cut asbestos tiles, shingles, or other products thus getting asbestos particles in the air. Also when they were replacing an older roof they would rip off old shingles and other roofing materials again putting dangerous asbestos into the air. Most roofing products today are made without asbestos, but older products that are found on older roofs may still contain asbestos.
Types of Products:
- corrugated, flat or laminated cementitious extrusion panels
- roofing tiles and shingles
- smooth and mineral-surfaced roofing felts
- asphalt shingles
- caulking putties
- cold-applied adhesives
- roofing asphalt
- mastic
- asphalt tile cement
- roof putty
- fire sealants
Examples of Products:
- AAA Hip and Ridge Shingles
- Careystone Corrugated Roofing
- Externit Asbestos Shingles
- Fire-chex '325' Shingles
- Flintcoat Roofing
- Johns-Manville Blak-Kap Duplex Roofing
- Suprador Fiber-Shake Sidewall Shingles
Roofers 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, 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. Also, many family members were at risk as well because workers would return home with the dust on their clothes, shoes and even hair.
