Insulation workers — also called insulators, laggers, or thermal protection workers — face the single highest rate of mesothelioma of any occupational group ever studied in the United States. Nearly all pipe and mechanical insulation installed in the US before 1980 contained asbestos. Workers who measured, cut, fitted, and installed this insulation were in continuous, daily contact with asbestos fibers throughout their entire careers, often for 30 or more years.
History of Asbestos Exposure for Insulation
Asbestos insulation was the industry standard from the 1920s through the mid-1970s. Products like Unibestos, Kaylo, and Thermasbestos — all containing high concentrations of chrysotile and amosite asbestos — were installed around pipes, boilers, turbines, and mechanical systems in buildings, ships, and industrial plants across America. Cutting insulation boards and fitting them around complex pipe systems generated visible dust clouds of asbestos fibers. Many insulators also worked in confined spaces — boiler rooms, engine rooms, equipment closets — where fibers had no path to dissipate. Multiple studies of insulation worker unions found mesothelioma death rates as high as 17% of all deaths.
Common Asbestos-Containing Products
The following products were commonly used in this occupation and are well-documented in asbestos litigation:
- Pipe covering (Unibestos, Kaylo, Thermasbestos)
- Asbestos block insulation (85% magnesia + asbestos)
- Molded fitting insulation covers
- Asbestos cloth and tape for finishing
- Asbestos cement (used to coat pipe joints)
- Corrugated asbestos paper
- Thermal spray insulation
- Asbestos-reinforced insulating rope
Your Legal Rights
Insulation workers who develop mesothelioma have some of the strongest legal claims in all of asbestos litigation. Manufacturers of asbestos insulation products knew about the risks as early as the 1930s and continued selling their products without warning for decades. Multiple trust funds were established specifically by companies like Owens Corning, Armstrong World Industries, W.R. Grace, Pittsburgh Corning, and Johns-Manville. Juries have consistently returned large verdicts in insulation worker cases, and trust fund payments are often substantial.
Key Facts for Insulation
- Insulators have the highest documented mesothelioma incidence of any US occupational group
- Studies show 10–17% of insulation workers who worked with asbestos die of mesothelioma
- Product manufacturers knew of risks by the 1930s but withheld information from workers
- Major defendants: Owens Corning, Armstrong, W.R. Grace, Johns-Manville, Pittsburgh Corning
- Average verdicts in insulation worker cases rank among the highest in mesothelioma litigation
Frequently Asked Questions
No. The paper and cloth dust masks provided to workers offered no meaningful protection against asbestos fibers, which are submicroscopic. More importantly, the law places responsibility on product manufacturers to warn of hazards — not on workers to protect themselves from dangers they were never told existed.
Key funds include Owens Corning, Armstrong World Industries, W.R. Grace, Fibreboard, Pittsburgh Corning, Celotex, and dozens more — over 60 trusts in total. A mesothelioma attorney will identify all trusts relevant to your specific work history and the products you installed.