Carpenters

The trade of a carpenter can span many different end products and industries. Carpenters can work on residential buildings, commercial buildings and structures such as bridges and tunnels, as well as create and install final products such as kitchen and bathroom cabinets. The task of a carpenter depends on the job at hand. For example, residential building carpenters can work on anything from the physical structure framing of the building to the creation and installation of fixtures. Although the task of a carpenter can differ tremendously, the steps taken to perform each task involve similar tasks. Most jobs performed by a carpenter will entail taking specs off blueprints, coordinating with supervisors and managers, and then performing the construction using materials such as wood, plastic, nails, and screws.

Carpentry is the largest construction trade. Approximately one third of carpenters in the United States are self-employed. This self-employment creates tremendous competition in the private sector. The strong survive in this business and those that survive are usually those with the most training and skill. Another 23 percent of carpenters are employed by contractors. The majority of the remaining carpenters work in an array of industries including manufacturing, government, retail, and more. The daily routine for a carpenter can be very demanding. Carpenters can spend many hours on their feet and work in extreme heights and weather conditions.

A carpenter can face many dangers to asbestos exposure. Asbestos was used in the manufacturing of numerous building materials before the health hazards pertaining to the contaminant were well known. Asbestos was integrated into these materials for its good insulation properties and resistance to fire and high heat. The contaminant was used in construction materials for the better portion of the 20^th century. This continued until the 1980s when the dangers of asbestos became widely known and manufacturers began taking the contaminant out of its products.

Carpenters could be exposed to asbestos on a job site in numerous ways. If the carpenter was working with or installing asbestos containing products, asbestos fibers could easily become disturbed and airborne. This would result in the carpenter inhaling the asbestos fibers and endangering his or her health.

Another method of exposure to asbestos could come from repairs and modifications to the buildings and structures. Carpenters that were apart of this process would encounter asbestos from removing materials containing the contaminant and disrupting the asbestos causing it to become airborne. Even if the asbestos fibers were not directly inhaled by the carpenter, the asbestos dust could easily be caught on the carpenter's clothing and transported to family and friends. This transportation of asbestos fibers would put loved ones in the direct path of a potential asbestos exposure.

There have been numerous cases in this country and the rest of the world where carpenters have been exposed to asbestos and were awarded damages for their exposure. For example, a San Francisco man's family was awarded over $5 million in a wrongful death suit after he was exposed to building products containing asbestos. Due to the construction boom in the Northeast, carpenters in New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania must be aware of asbestos containing products. During repairs and modifications on legacy buildings, a carpenter must be aware of potential exposure to asbestos and use all the proper safety precautions to protect him or herself against exposure.