Carpenter
Carpenters are considered highly skilled craftsman who use their skills with wood and construction materials to build homes, furniture, molding, and cabinets among others. They are often broken into two segments, rough carpenters and finish carpenters. Rough carpenters and framers work on projects that require less fine details. An example is the framing of a house. Finish carpenters perform more intricate woodworking techniques on a much smaller scale, like crown molding for kitchen cabinets. Unfortunately, many of these skilled craftsmen have suffered workplace exposure to asbestos, which can cause deadly
mesothelioma cancer.
Asbestos, common in many building materials, can release fibers and dust into the air when disturbed. When inhaled, an
asbestos exposure can lead to a number of health problems. These include
asbestosis and the following cancers: mesothelioma, lung, esophageal, gastrointestinal, laryngeal, and pharyngeal.
Carpenters at High Risk for Asbestos Exposure and Mesothelioma Carpenters who worked from about 1940 to 1980 are at high risk for asbestos exposure because, as mentioned above, a variety of construction materials contained asbestos. A 2009 UK study found that 1 in 17 British carpenters born in the 1940s will die of mesothelioma, the rare and aggressive cancer caused solely by exposure to asbestos. The percentage of workers with any cancer-related health problems is closer to 1 in 10.
Asbestos, a naturally occurring substance, was used in many construction materials because of its resistance to heat, electrical and chemical damage and the benefits of sound absorption and tensile strength. Asbestos fibers could be disturbed into the air at construction sites when any of these materials were cut, shaved or ground down with power tools to fit specific dimensions. Then, all the workers at the site were put at risk because asbestos fibers can float in the air for long periods of time.
Top Asbestos-Containing Products for a Carpenter to Be Aware of:
• Cement roofing, shingles and siding
• Patching, spackle, joint compounds, caulking, putties and textured paints
• Sprayed on acoustical or decorative plaster
• Asbestos blanket or paper tape to insulate steam pipes, boilers, and furnace ducts
• Floor tiling and floor adhesives
• Insulation: usually grayish-white and often found in attics
• Insulation around electrical wires, fuse boxes, and ceiling fixtures
• Wallboard, millboard and paperboard
• Door gaskets in furnaces and stoves
• Ceiling tiles and panels in suspended ceilings
A more exhaustive list can be found on our asbestos containing products page.
Today’s Carpenters are Still at Risk for Asbestos Exposure
Today’s carpenter continues to face the dangerous risks associated with asbestos exposure. It is estimated that 1.3 million construction workers are still exposed to asbestos annually. The United States began regulating asbestos in the 1970s, but it has not been banned entirely. In fact, two-thirds of the modern asbestos-containing products are construction materials, although they are typically labeled as such. More important to modern carpenters should be the renovation or demolition of structures built from 1940-1980 when asbestos use was at its peak. Often modern carpenters are not taught the proper safety procedures or given the required equipment to protect them from the dangers of asbestos.
Were You Exposed to Asbestos While Working as a Carpenter? Mesothelioma Attorneys May be Able to Help
It is recommended that people who have spent a significant period of time working as a carpenter get a full physical evaluation by a medical doctor. Mesothelioma, a rare and aggressive cancer caused by asbestos exposure, often takes 15-40 years to manifest and victims average only one year of life after diagnosis. Thus, it is important to catch the disease in its early stages. At-risk workers should pay close attention to any
mesothelioma symptoms which include fluid in the lungs, chest pain, coughing, shortness of breath and fatigue.
If you have been diagnosed with mesothelioma and believe you were exposed to asbestos over the course of your drywall career, you may be entitled to financial compensation. To learn more about your legal options, please contact us for a free case evaluation. Mesothelioma attorneys have helped thousands of mesothelioma patients win compensation for lost wages and medical costs.