Mechanics and Asbestos Exposure

Auto Mechanics and Heavy Mechanics Asbestos Exposure

Asbestos was a favored insulant used in a broad range of applications where materials were subject to heat, fire, and corrosive substances. This includes essential vehicle components such as brakes, clutches, and gaskets. 

According to researchers from the University of Wisconsin-Madison (UW-Madison), the auto industry relied heavily on asbestos from the 1940s to well into the late 20^th century. Automakers and auto-parts manufacturers used chrysotile asbestos, one of the two primary types of asbestos, on their production lines and particularly in friction components such as brake pads, linings, and clutches.

For mechanics who plied their trade during this period, “shadetree” mechanics who performed auto repair work at home, and mechanics who worked on older cars into the 21^st century, asbestos-containing brakes and clutches would have been a significant source of asbestos exposure.

Some of the work performed by auto mechanics that would have exposed them to asbestos include:

Automobile and heavy equipment mechanics were often exposed to asbestos while installing asbestos-containing brakes and clutches, which often required mechanics to sand and grind brakes to ensure a proper fit. This created airborne asbestos-containing dust that could then be inhaled or ingested. 

Exposure also occurred during repairs that required mechanics to remove or replace brakes filled with dust, which accumulates naturally in wheel wells and is removed by blowing it out. 

As researchers have noted, vehicles with asbestos-containing brakes produce dust that contains two major components – forsterite (a non-fibrous magnesium silicate that is created by the heat and pressure brakes apply to chrysotile asbestos and on its own isn’t toxic); and a great deal of chrysotile asbestos that is not converted to forsterite by the braking process. In fact, UW-Madison researchers found that a single nanogram of brake dust contained 90,000 unaltered chrysotile asbestos fibers, and that measurable quantities of asbestos could be found as far as 75 feet from where a blowout was performed.  

Because mechanics and other auto workers were routinely exposed to asbestos dust in brakes, clutches, and other vehicle components, they also placed their spouses and families at risk of secondary exposure, which occurs when workers in high-risk occupations bring asbestos fibers from their jobs into their homes on their clothes, skin, and hair. As part of UW-Madison’s research, researchers identified several cases involving women married to auto workers who developed mesothelioma through secondary exposure. 

Industrial Mechanics and Aircraft Mechanics Asbestos Exposure

Asbestos-containing braking components were commonly used in industrial equipment, such as large presses and stamping machines, hydraulic machinery, forklifts, and other mechanical equipment that relied upon friction materials for its safe and effective operation.

Asbestos was used widely in airplanes and aircraft components for the same reasons it was used heavily by the auto industry – it was affordable, durable, and could withstand heat and pressure. 

As a result, aircraft mechanics and maintenance technicians who worked on military, commercial, or private aircraft from the 1930s through the late 20^th century were routinely exposed to asbestos. This exposure occurred in several ways, including the direct handling of asbestos-containing materials, exposure to asbestos dust in brake pads, and exposure to asbestos found on worksites.

Work performed on aircraft brake systems was a significant hazard for aircraft mechanics. As with brakes in automobiles, brake assemblies on aircraft also contained asbestos and produced harmful asbestos dust. Aircraft mechanics were also exposed to asbestos in gaskets and packing when working on large engines, as well as various insulation materials and aviation parts.  

In addition to working with asbestos-containing parts, industrial mechanics and aircraft mechanics were also exposed to asbestos through their work environments. Many mechanics spent long hours in hangars, airports, and other facilities filled with asbestos-laden materials and other trades workers who also handled asbestos parts and produced asbestos dust. Aircraft mechanics who worked for the military or military contractors were also exposed to asbestos in shipyards and Navy ships.