Cabinetmaker and Cabinet Installer
A cabinetmaker is considered a highly skilled craftsman who uses their abilities with wood and construction materials to build and install furniture and cabinets. Unfortunately, due to the materials they work with, many of these expert craftsmen have suffered workplace exposure to asbestos that can cause deadly mesothelioma cancer. Asbestos is common in many building materials and 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.
Cabinetmakers and Cabinet Installers at High Risk for Asbestos Exposure and Mesothelioma
Cabinetmakers 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. Sometimes, the wood products during this time period were pressed with asbestos because asbestos, a naturally occurring substance, has a resistance to heat, electrical and chemical damage and the benefits of sound absorption and tensile strength. Unfortunately, asbestos fibers could be disturbed into the air at construction sites when any these products were sawed, cut, drilled, or hammered. In addition, asbestos was used in so many construction products that typically all the workers at the site were at risk because asbestos fibers can float in the air for long periods of time.
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Top Asbestos-Containing Products for Cabinetmakers and Cabinet Installers to Be Wary of:
• Patching, spackle, joint compounds, caulking, putties and textured paints
• Sprayed on acoustical or decorative plaster
• 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
• Ceiling tiles and panels in suspended ceilings
A more exhaustive list can be found on our asbestos containing products page.
Today’s Cabinetmakers and Installers are Still at Risk for Asbestos Exposure
Today’s cabinetmaker 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 cabinetmakers and installers should be the renovation of structures built from 1940-1980 when asbestos use was at its peak. Modern cabinetmaker and cabinet installers need to be taught the proper safety procedures and use the required equipment to protect them from the dangers of asbestos.
Were You Exposed to Asbestos While Working as a Cabinetmaker or Cabinet Installer? Mesothelioma Attorneys May be Able to Help
It is recommended that people who have spent a significant period of time working as a cabinetmaker or installer 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 working as a cabinetmaker or cabinet installer, you may be entitled to financial compensation via a mesothelioma settlement. To learn more about your legal options and mesothelioma attorneys, please contact us for a free legal consultation.