Occupations at Risk for Mesothelioma in the Asbestos Industry: Tile Setters

Tile setters are skilled professionals who put together intricate designs and compilations of tiles in buildings, homes and other structures. In the United States, there were approximately 58,700 professional tile setters in 2010, most of which work for flooring companies or contractors.¹

Among tiles installed before 1980, most contained some form of asbestos. It’s not only floor tiles that were made with asbestos, but ceiling tiles and roof decks as well. When the tile setter would sand, drill, cut, scrape or remove a tile containing asbestos, the particles were often distributed into the air to be inhaled. When the asbestos fibers enter the lungs, risk of mesothelioma for tile setters increases dramatically.

Risk of Mesothelioma for Tile Setters

Tile setters who installed, worked on or removed floor tiles before 1980 are the most at risk for mesothelioma. Mesothelioma has a long latency period; tile setters who were exposed to asbestos 20, 30 even 40 years ago are just now beginning to experience mesothelioma symptoms.

Many common products used by tile setters contained asbestos. Some of these products include:

• 9 x 9 floor tiles
• 12 x 12 floor tiles
• Sheet linoleum
• Cement
• Mastic
• Glue
• Grout
• Decorative/soundproofing materials
• Patching compounds
• Textured paint
• And more¹

Tile setters experiencing symptoms of asbestos-related diseases like mesothelioma should be aware of the details of mesothelioma. Learn more about mesothelioma symptoms and what can be done now.

^{1 Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2012-13 Edition, Tile and Marble Setters, http://www.bls.gov/ooh/construction-and-extraction/tile-and-marble-setters.htm}