Asbestos Risks For
Construction Workers
Construction
workers are one of the highest at-risk groups in terms of exposure to asbestos.
All buildings constructed between the early 1920s and the late 1980s are
presumed to harbor asbestos and products that contain asbestos in walls,
floors, ceilings, insulation, pipes, HVAC, boiler rooms and more. It is
estimated that more than 1 million construction workers are exposed every year
to materials that contain asbestos.
Absent
proper asbestos abatement protections, construction workers came into contact
with asbestos during original construction and subsequent maintenance,
remodeling or demolition of these buildings. Workers unknowingly also placed
family members in danger by exposing them to asbestos fibers that were carried
home on work clothes or on a worker's body.
Exposure to
even a fractional amount of asbestos — during construction, repairs,
demolition, alteration or maintenance — can result in serious health problems,
including the risk of developing asbestosis, mesothelioma, lung
cancer or other
related cancers.
The symptoms
of health problems resulting from exposure to asbestos may not appear for 10 to
50 years after the actual exposure occurs. Symptoms may include shortness of
breath, chest pain, a chronic cough, nausea and weight loss.
Remodeling Jobs Exposed To Mesothelioma
Starting in
the 1970s, the government developed regulations that were designed to protect
construction workers from harmful health risks associated with the materials
involved in asbestos construction. Today, most construction sites where
asbestos is known to be present should be monitored daily for levels of
asbestos in the work environment. However, companies often do not follow these
rules and put construction workers at risk.
The Occupational
Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has established rules for controlled
zones at construction sites where asbestos is present. For their own
protection, workers are required to follow safety precautions, including
wearing protective respiratory equipment and clothing. Employers are also
required to provide decontamination areas for construction workers at sites
where asbestos is present. At sites where an employee is exposed to greater
amounts of asbestos, employers are required to provide routine medical
examinations for workers.
A total of
25 states, including Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands have OSHA-approved
state plans and have adopted their own standards and enforcement policies. For
the most part, these states adopt standards that are identical to federal OSHA
rules. However, some states have adopted different standards or may have
different enforcement policies.
In addition,
OSHA rules stipulate that if you are working in an area that contains asbestos,
your employer must pay for special training that covers the dangers of asbestos
and what precautions to take.
Construction
workers who are often at risk of exposure to asbestos include:
- Drywall installers
- Electricians
- Insulators
- Plumbers and pipefitters
- Sheet metal workers
- Laborers
- Brickmasons
- Carpenters
- Plasterers
- Welders