Insulation workers

Insulation workers install, remove, and maintain insulation within buildings and structures. Insulation workers play a major role in energy consumption. When insulation is installed properly and efficiently, the material will help keep the heat within buildings during winter months and the cold within during summer months.

Insulation is also used around heat generating equipment such as boilers, and tanks to prevent burn injuries. It can also be used around refrigeration systems to keep the cold from escaping. While maintaining heat and cold are two major tasks for insulation workers, these workers can also install insulation around equipment and machines to keep them quiet while in operation. Larger machinery such as generators can create a substantial noise level which will require a layer of insulation around the machine to keep it quiet. Numerous types of products including foam-based insulations are also used in buildings to quiet floors such as tiles and concrete slabs. This insulating technique lowers the noise level for lower floors.

The job of an insulation worker can be strenuous on a daily basis. Insulation installers spend most of their days on their feet or kneeling for long periods of time. These workers also have to balance on ladders while installing insulation in confined spaces or significant heights. Insulation workers must also cope with potentially having fiberglass on their skin which is now normally used in modern day insulation. Fiberglass is very irritating to the skin and can cause rashes and redness to the exposed area if not removed quickly. On top of that, most insulation installations are done in buildings and structure without air conditioning or heating which causes the workers to deal with extreme temperature conditions.

Insulation workers have always had concerns with inhaling fibers from the insulation material and that included asbestos. Insulating materials were manufactured with asbestos for years due to its heat resistant properties and its natural insulation characteristics. Asbestos is also a great fire retardant. In the early 20th century, asbestos containing insulation materials were used to surround many types of piping including hot water and steam. Asbestos was also used in the insulation that surrounded certain types of oil and coal furnaces. While working around this contaminant, asbestos fibers could easily become detached from the insulation and be inhaled by the unsuspecting insulation worker. The asbestos fibers could also become entangled in the insulation worker’s clothing and transported to unknowing family and friends.

Workers exposed to asbestos have frequently brought litigation against manufacturers of asbestos containing insulation and to the general contractors who installed these materials. A New Jersey man who suffered asbestosis in his lungs after being exposed to insulation containing asbestos brought litigation against the insulation manufacturer and was awarded six figures. Another New Jersey worker was awarded a seven figure amount when he was exposed to asbestos during the handling of insulation products while working in shipbuilding. If you or someone you know has worked with insulation and been exposed to asbestos, please seek immediate medical attention and then speak to an experienced asbestos attorney to understand your legal rights.