01. Asbestos Risk for Insulators
绝缘子如何暴露于石棉？
Insulators were exposed toasbestosfrom theinsulation productsthey worked with. Insulators may also have experiencedasbestos exposurefrom other含石棉的建筑材料。Asbestos was used in insulation and otherproductsdue to its ability to increase fire resistance and durability.
绝缘材料通常含有石棉the mid-1860s through about 1978. Insulators working during those years were at great risk of asbestos exposure.
Today, insulators may still be exposed to asbestos. Modern-day insulators face the greatest health risk when working on olderhomes，，，，schools，建筑物，船只和/或机械。但是，是still legal in the United Statesto manufacture certain types of insulation containing up to 1% asbestos. As a result, insulators remain one of the mostat-risk occupations。
什么石棉产品使绝缘子处于危险之中？
Insulation workers were exposed to asbestos primarily through the insulating materials they installed, maintained and/or removed. Workers may also have experienced asbestos exposure from other building materials containing the mineral. Insulators continue to face exposure risks from lingering asbestos materials.
许多建筑产品是用石棉制成的，这是由于矿物防止高温和化学反应的能力。含石棉的材料也很便宜，而且制造耐用。
任何接触石棉材料的接触都可能导致严重疾病，例如万博专业版。When workers handle asbestos insulation and other asbestos materials, fibers may release. This can lead to anyone in the area inhaling or ingesting the fibers. Once inside the body, these fibers may embed in the organs and cause cancer.
绝缘子可能已经暴露于：
- 块绝缘
- Felt insulation
- 管道绝缘
- Plastic insulation
- Spray-applied insulation
- 阀绝缘
- ver石绝缘
- Zonolite insulation
很多的asbestos companiesmanufactured and distributed the above products. These companies may be found liable for individuals’ asbestos exposure and resulting related diseases.
Common Places Asbestos Is Found in the Insulation Industry
Insulators may have been exposed to asbestos insulation in any part of their jobs. Asbestos insulation materials were common in homes, schools and other buildings across the country from the early 1900s to 1980. Old uses of asbestos insulation may also still be found in buildings.
绝缘子之间的石棉暴露在建筑工地，军事基地和造船厂等工作地点。在这些位置的任何一个中，绝缘子在隔离隔热，机械和蒸汽管上工作时也可能已经暴露了绝缘子。
工作场所中经常暴露绝缘体的位置包括：
- Attics
- Boiler rooms
- Construction sites
- Demolition sites
- Engine rooms
- Shipyards
风险最大的绝缘体包括在通风不良的封闭区域工作的绝缘体，例如机房或船上ships。这些狭窄的空间通常使纤维变得更加集中在空中。
一些绝缘体可能经历了石棉世博会sure more often than others. However, there is no safe level of asbestos exposure. Insulators exposed only once for a brief period may still develop asbestos-related diseases.
绝缘体和高风险交易
Many may consider insulators part of the largerconstruction worker trade。但是，在绝缘子的伞下也有贸易。任何与石棉隔热材料接触的人都可能风险石棉疾病。但是，那些经常使用这些材料的人面临健康问题的风险。
The following tradespeople may have been exposed to asbestos while installing, maintaining, removing and/or inspecting asbestos insulation.
At-risk trades in the insulation industry include:
- Acoustical insulation technicians
- Attic insulation technicians
- Drywall workers
- Firestopping technicians
- 绝缘安装程序
- Insulation technicians
- Mechanical insulation workers
- Pipefitters
- Sound attenuation insulation technicians
- Thermal insulation technicians
02. Mesothelioma Risk for Insulators
万博专业版间皮瘤的绝缘体风险
Due to the level of asbestos exposure typically incurred by insulators, these workers are at a high risk of developing mesothelioma and otherasbestos diseases。According to a Swedish study, the rate ofpleural mesothelioma绝缘子中有比公众高十倍。研究人员还发现，绝缘子面临着增加的风险peritoneal mesothelioma。由于石棉暴露引起的疾病风险增加的风险也超出了间皮瘤。万博专业版
For example, a study conducted in 2013 analyzed asbestos-related diseases among 2,377 North American insulators. Researchers found:
- 61。4% of insulators had石棉病
- 65.2％的绝缘子smoked had asbestosis
- 45。9% of insulators that never smoked had asbestosis
- 19% of insulators died of肺癌
- 6。8% of insulators died of asbestosis, which accounted for 122 deaths
“Lung cancer remains the dominant cause of death among insulators, killing one in five over the past [three] decades…”
A Canadian study from 2020 also found a correlation between asbestos-exposed insulators and an increased risk of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). These workers were also at greater risk of repeated chest infections. The researchers stated the risk was due to occupational exposure to asbestos insulation and other asbestos materials.
Asbestos Diseases Among Insulators’ Family Members
The health effects of asbestos exposure among insulators impact more than the workers themselves. A study published in theAnnals of Translational Medicinein 2017 found many family members of workers, including insulators, suffered from pleural mesothelioma.
绝缘子亲人之间的石棉疾病通常是次要石棉暴露。Insulators may bring home asbestos fibers on their clothes, hair and personal belongings. As a result, family members and loved ones can inhale or ingest the microscopic fibers, leading to health problems.
Insulators and their loved ones with known asbestos exposure should seek medical attention.Early diagnosisand treatment by万博专业版间皮瘤专家can lead to extended survival and improved quality of life for patients.
03. Compensation for Insulators
赔偿for Victims of Occupational Asbestos Exposure
被诊断为石棉相关疾病的绝缘工人可能有资格compensation来自承担责任的石棉公司。绝缘子及其家人可能会提出万博专业版间皮瘤声称or lawsuits against employers or product manufacturers.
赔偿可能涵盖treatment costs，与疾病有关的工资和其他费用损失。
Other Compensation Amounts Awarded to Insulators
- $1.4 million awarded to a 75-year-old insulator in Toledo, Ohio
- $400,630 awarded to an 80-year-old insulator in Wallingford, Connecticut
- $600,966 awarded to a 69-year-old insulator in Birmingham, Alabama
赔偿amounts awarded to insulators may vary depending on the type of asbestos-related disease and the severity of the diagnosis. For example, individuals with mesothelioma diagnoses may be awarded more compensation than those with asbestosis diagnoses.
Experienced mesothelioma lawyerscan assist insulators and their loved ones in determining what legal option may be most beneficial for them.
