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Important facts about asbestos exposure for auto mechanics
- Chrysotile asbestos is the type of asbestos most commonly used in automobiles. Asbestos prevents brakes, clutches, and gaskets from overheating.
- The braking process causes asbestos dust to build up inside the wheel wells. When auto mechanics work on vehicles, this dust is the main risk of exposure.
- Home-based auto mechanic jobs are another way people are exposed to asbestos. Professional mechanics are more likely to wear protective equipment, but do-it-yourself projects in your garage or driveway are more likely to not include precautions.
Explain the dangers of asbestos
Asbestos is an insulator, preventing fires and protecting nearby components from damage. Because asbestos is very strong, it is used in automobile brakes and clutches.
The only cause of mesothelioma, a rare cancer, is exposure to asbestos. This cancer affects approximately 2,500 people in the United States each year. Mesothelioma occurs in the lining of the lungs and abdominal cavity. Most often associated with occupational asbestos exposure, auto mechanics are near the top of the list due to the amount of asbestos used in cars.
Automotive chrysotile asbestos
chrysotile asbestos One of two main types of minerals. The other is amphibole. The American Cancer Society refers to chrysotile asbestos as “white asbestos,” and it is the most common type used in friction applications on cars and trucks.
Automobile brakes and clutches often contain chrysotile asbestos, and anyone who repairs or installs these parts can be at risk of deadly exposure. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) says asbestos dust on brake and clutch components is nearly impossible to identify just by looking at it. The EPA also says that as a safe practice, mechanics should assume all cars contain asbestos.
According to researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, this type of mineral has been widely used in automotive friction products since the 1940s. In his 2018 article published on the OMICS International website, authors Marty Kanarek and Henry Anderson explained the relationship between asbestos and automotive work.
Their research shows how heavily dependent the automobile industry was on the automobile industry. asbestos and puts workers at risk.
How asbestos was used in cars: brake pads and clutches
Asbestos was widely used in automobile manufacturing. This mineral is found in various components of your vehicle, but primarily in your brakes and clutches. Asbestos in brake pads and clutches was the main source of exposure.
According to experts at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, a car’s braking process causes dust to build up inside the wheel wells. This dust is made up of a substance known as forsterite, which itself is not toxic. It is a non-fibrous magnesium silicate “produced by the transformation of chrysotile asbestos during the heat and pressure of brakes.”
Asbestos exposure can occur when a mechanic installs new brakes or replaces old ones. Another standard exposure method is at-home auto repair, or “shade trees.”
Asbestos exposure from brake installation
The installation of new asbestos-containing brakes also poses a risk of asbestos exposure. This process typically involves polishing or grinding the brakes to ensure a good fit.
However, operating new brakes does not turn chrysotile asbestos into forsterite. Rather, the sanding process disturbs the asbestos and sends “airborne chrysotile fibers” into the worker’s environment. Again, loose chrysotile asbestos fibers can enter the worker’s body and cause cancer formation.
Mechanics were manipulating new brake shoes to fit the car’s drums, which had become dented and not completely rounded over time and use. Mechanics were using a “brake lathe” to polish the brake shoes, but the asbestos in the shoes was extremely brittle.
The International Center for Internet Disability Information (ICDRI) cited a 2000 study funded by Seattle’s Post-Intelligencer newspaper. Researchers found “high levels of asbestos in 21 out of 31 brake repair shops” across six states.
The ICDRI article states, “The same study also found that most workers believed that asbestos was long ago banned by the EPA.”
Unfortunately, the EPA has not implemented a complete ban on asbestos. In fact, many environmental groups argue that: EPA is not doing enough Restrict commercial exploitation of minerals.
Asbestos exposure due to brake removal
When auto repair workers remove the brakes, they first blow away forsterite dust created by the heat and pressure of applying the brakes while driving. However, not all chrysotile asbestos transforms into forsterite.
The University of Wisconsin-Madison (UWM) cites a General Motors report that found 90,000 intact chrysotile asbestos fibers in one nanogram of brake dust.
When the blowout process occurs, loose chrysotile asbestos fibers enter the air. This doesn’t just affect people blowing out toxic dust. Anyone who comes near asbestos can be exposed to it. The UWM article also cites a study that reported “measurable concentrations of asbestos” up to 75 feet from the site of the blowout.
Asbestos exposure due to at-home auto repair “shade tree”
Some people enjoy working on their cars at home and see it as a way to save money. However, much of the general public did not know that asbestos was dangerous until the end of the 20th century. Also, many Americans were unaware of how prevalent asbestos is in general and in automobiles in particular.
ICDRI says “non-professional home auto mechanics who repair or replace brakes and clutches themselves” are at risk of infection. “Their families are also at risk because there are likely no protective measures in place to prevent the fibers from entering their homes.”
Shade Tree mechanics are not experts and may not have the practical tools to repair your car. They may use tools that are not suitable for the job, which can further disturb the asbestos and expose themselves and others to asbestos.
Secondary asbestos exposure from auto repair shops
Exposure to asbestos can occur even for people who do not work directly with minerals at work. Auto mechanics can deposit dangerous asbestos fibers on your clothes and hair, putting your family and friends at risk. Mechanics bring asbestos dust into your home. secondary asbestos exposure For your spouse, children and grandchildren.
Case of auto worker developing mesothelioma
Researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison backed up the science by listing numerous mesothelioma cases associated with brake installation and repair.
Cases mentioned include:
- A man “involved in the manufacture of brake linings”
- A 43-year-old woman has been knitting brake linings for three years.
- A 47-year-old man was exposed to asbestos only through his job as an auto mechanic.
- Two New York women whose husbands were exposed to brake linings
- A woman whose husband worked as a brake lining worker
A study from Georgetown University and Duke University looked at 1,445 mesothelioma cases. Of these, 51 were caused by automobile-related workers such as auto mechanics, brake repair workers, and brake lining workers.
The Australian National Mesothelioma Registry consists of 6,329 cases from 1945 to 2000. In 58 of these cases, brake activation was the sole cause. occupational asbestos exposure.
According to the American Journal of Industrial Medicine, one car dealership had four cases of mesothelioma among employees. The facility used chrysotile auto parts for tractors.
Mesothelioma verdict against auto mechanic
Several mesothelioma lawsuits show how auto mechanics should be empowered to go after big companies that cause cancer.
A jury in Spokane, Washington, found Germany’s Volkswagen AG and Volkswagen’s U.S. subsidiary liable for exposing auto mechanics to asbestos. A jury awarded a deceased former mechanic $5.75 million. Most of the money was donated to the estate of the victim, who worked as an auto mechanic at Volkswagen’s Spokane dealership from 1972 to 1975. He replaced the brakes and clutches on his Volkswagen car.
Mesothelioma guide helps former mechanic obtain compensation
Mesothelioma Guide Patient Advocates and Other Staff Helped former auto mechanic William Trokey win mesothelioma verdict against Ford Motor Co.. William was a brake drum fitter for an automobile manufacturer in the 1960s.
He and his wife, Kathy, each received $10 million from a total $20 million asbestos verdict from a St. Louis, Missouri, jury. The patient advocates at Mesothelioma Guide directed the couple to the best legal representation.
What to do if you get mesothelioma while working in the automobile industry
Another damning statistic cited in the UW-M article involves the work of World Trade Organization expert Dr. Douglas Henderson. He “calculated” that brake mechanics were 10 times more likely to develop mesothelioma than the general public.
The 10 times the normal risk was significant and served as evidence to prove that working with cars can lead to mesothelioma. If you had your car brakes repaired or installed by a professional or at home, you may have been exposed to asbestos. This mineral has been used for most of his 20th century without the public knowing of its dangers.
If you have been diagnosed with mesothelioma, we are here to support you. Our patient advocacy team will explain your medical and legal options and help you in any way we can.
For more information, please email either patient advocate Karen Ritter RN (karen@mesotheliomaguide.com) or Carl Jewett (cjewett@mesotheliomaguide.com).