Plumbers

From the early 1900s and into the 1980s, plumbers may have been exposed to asbestos materials on the job. Plumbers could have encountered asbestos-containing products through their installation and repair work on sewer and water pipes and through their work with boilers, pumps and valves manufactured between the 1900s and 1980s.

Various exposures to asbestos have caused plumbers to be at an increased risk of developing asbestos-related diseases, such as mesothelioma.

Asbestos Exposure in the Plumbing Industry

Plumbers’ asbestos exposure may have occurred through a variety of common activities including, but not limited to:

  • Using hot tap machines to cut into older pipelines that may have contained asbestos
  • Stripping away old asbestos cement pipe from corroded water and sewer lines
  • Cutting new pipes to specific lengths and sizes to fit certain dimensions in an area of a house or community building, and in the process disturbing asbestos fibers used in the products’ insulation
  • Working with thick asbestos insulation and refractory materials used to protect boiler fireboxes
  • Maintenance and removal of boilers, which may have contained asbestos-laced rope gaskets between sections around boiler doors

Common Plumbing Products Containing Asbestos

One of the most common asbestos products plumbers came into contact with was asbestos-cement pipe, a composite material made of Portland cement reinforced with asbestos fiber. It was especially popular in the construction industry because of its strength and durability.

A variety of other asbestos products were used throughout plumbing and piping systems in residential, commercial and industrial sites including:

  • insulating cement
  • pipe covering
  • block insulation
  • packing
  • pumps
  • valves
  • gaskets

Plumbers regularly worked around other trades such as carpenters, insulators and drywallers, who also used asbestos materials. Asbestos building materials used by these trades included joint compound, siding, floor tiles, and ceiling tiles.

Simmons Hanly Conroy Helps Plumbers and Their Families

Simmons Hanly Conroy pursues justice for those individuals and their families who have been affected by asbestos exposure leading to mesothelioma. For more than a decade, we have worked to represent mesothelioma victims and their families and have donated to support research to find a cure for this tragic disease.

If you believe you or a loved one has been experiencing mesothelioma symptoms related to plumbers’ asbestos exposure, please fill out the form below for a free legal consultation with one of our experienced mesothelioma lawyers.