Asbestos Exposure: Plumbers and Pipefitters

A skilled mesothelioma lawyer can help plumbers and pipefitters sickened by asbestos exposure from the materials and equipment used in their trades. Bergman Oslund Udo Little seeks justice for plumbers, pipefitters, other trade specialists, and their families who suffer from harm caused by occupational asbestos exposure. Learn the connection between this type of work and mesothelioma in Oregon and Washington, and take the next step in your fight for rightful compensation.

Written by:

Chandler H. Udo, Partner, Bergman Oslund Udo Little Last Updated: August 9, 2024

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Pipefitters in Our Community

Common Pipefitting Products Containing Asbestos

Pipe Fitting Work Sites with Asbestos in the Pacific Northwest

Mesothelioma Attorneys for Plumbers, Pipefitters & Their Families

Why Choose Bergman Oslund Udo Little?

Pipefitters in Our Community

Pipefitting is a career that encompasses many different tasks in various other industrial locations in our area. Pipefitters typically perform skilled work designing, installing, maintaining, and repairing piping systems. During this work, pipefitters may employ many different skills for tasks that include the following, all of which could expose them to asbestos including:

Installing piping systems
Securing pipes to walls
Welding
Threading and grinding pipes
Shoring piping systems
Shoring piping systems
Using different tools to modify, attach, and repair pipes

In our area, pipefitters may work in paper production facilities such as WestRock Company’s Tacoma Mill, Weyerhaeuser Longview, Boise Cascade, or Longview Fibre Paper & Packaging. They may work in power plants like the Centralia Power Plant or Trojan Nuclear Facility in Oregon. They also may be critical workers in shipyards like the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, Todd Shipyard, or Lockheed Shipyard.

Many of these workers in Washington and Oregon are members of The United Association of Journeymen and Apprentices of the Plumbing and Pipefitting Industry of the United States and Canada. Local chapters of this union include UA Local 290, United Association Local 32, and UA Association Local 26.

Common Pipefitting Products Containing Asbestos

Asbestos was widely used in pipefitting and plumbing products because of its low cost, heat-resistant nature, and quality as an insulator. In your trade as a plumber or pipefitter, you could have been exposed to asbestos products when handling the following list of items:

Insulation: Fillers, blankets, and other asbestos-containing insulators were commonly used in the attics, walls, and flooring of older homes. You could have been exposed to these items when accessing covered boilers and pipes for maintenance or repair work.
Duct Insulation: Much pipefitting work focuses on the weakest parts of heating ductwork, including any curves or connecting pieces. These areas also coincided with asbestos insulation because these are commonly the most vulnerable ductwork parts where heat could escape.
Cement Pipe: These pipes were made with an asbestos paste. Work on this type of piping could have led to asbestos exposure either in manufacturing or during installation and repair when cutting the pipe, which could release asbestos fibers into the air.
Gaskets & Packings: Repair work for gaskets and other packings in major appliances often involved using asbestos-containing patches and compounds, leading to potential inhalation.
Cement Sheets: These products were popular because of their durability and corrosion resistance, making them a common fixture in many roofing and siding projects in older buildings. Plumbers and pipefitters may have been exposed to asbestos when accessing underlying pipes.
Joint Compounds And Adhesives: Pastes and other patchwork for use in pipe joints could have led to exposure when applying these items to installation and repair jobs in commercial and residential buildings.
Rope and Packing: These items contained asbestos fibers coated in graphite and rubber and were popular for use in fixtures that involve high temperatures and pressures. When working on pumps and valves for certain oils, gases, steam, and abrasive liquids, you may have encountered these ropes.
Cement Boards: A popular material for flooring in commercial and industrial settings in the 1900s because of its durability and insulating properties. Plumbers and pipefitters may have exposure when creating access points for maintenance on old piping or when working on the initial construction of buildings up through the 1980s.
Sprays and Coatings: Many protective sprays and coatings for pipes commonly used in the 1900s contained asbestos, and plumbers or pipefitters could have inhaled these dangerous materials in repair and installation work.

Asbestos exposure for plumbers and pipefitters in Oregon and Washington could vary depending on the nature of the work. Workers were exposed at industrial sites and residential spaces alike. Even if you don’t know the nature of your exposure, our mesothelioma attorneys for plumbers and pipefitters can help investigate the source of your exposure by examining your work history and cross-referencing it with our proprietary database of asbestos job sites in the Pacific Northwest.

Pipe Fitting Work Sites with Asbestos in the Pacific Northwest

The Pacific Northwest is an essential manufacturing and commercial hub because of its coastal location and access to vital natural resources. For these reasons, many industrial businesses owned and operated facilities where plumbers and pipefitters had heavy exposure to asbestos products.

This exposure was also prevalent among those performing pipe work at government and military locations, including power plants, bases, shipyards, and other utilities.

Other jobs with a significant risk of asbestos exposure could include paper mill workers, oil refinery workers, power plant workers, steel mill employees, and other fabricators of commercial products.

The following job sites and businesses have a documented history of exposure to pipe workers and other trades in Washington and Oregon:

Washington

Oregon

Swan Island Shipyard
Zidell Marine Corporation, Portland
Willamette Industries
Boise Cascade Paper Mill
Georgia-Pacific Paper Mill
Portland General Electric
Trojan Nuclear Power Plant, Rainier
BP (formerly ARCO) Refinery in Portland
Rhone-Poulenc Chemicals, Portland
Oregon Steel Mills, Portland
Umatilla Army Depot
Union Pacific Railroad
Southern Pacific Railroad

If you worked at any of these locations or for any of these companies and now suffer from mesothelioma, consider a consultation with one of our Washington mesothelioma lawyers at our Seattle Office or our Oregon mesothelioma attorneys at our Portland Office.

Mesothelioma Attorneys for Plumbers, Pipefitters & Their Families

Mesothelioma is a deadly form of cancer affecting the membrane lining your lungs and other internal organs. Asbestos exposure is the only known cause of the disease. The prognosis for mesothelioma patients is around four to 18 months, and only 10 percent live more than five years after diagnosis.

The tragic impact of mesothelioma on your life cannot be overstated. Therefore, legal action for asbestos exposure compensation is an important step to consider immediately following diagnosis. This compensation can cover many of the damaging impacts resulting from an asbestos-related disease, including economic losses from medical expenses and lost future earnings. More importantly, you could recover compensation for your pain and suffering and other impacts on the quality and enjoyment of life. These damages could also cover the effects on loved ones.

Pursuing compensation often requires the filing of a formal civil action for personal injury or wrongful death in the relevant state or federal court in either Washington or Oregon. While these claims often take time to resolve, our attorneys can make this process as efficient as possible. Our attorneys will work to minimize the impact on your life, allowing you to focus time and energy on your family.

Be mindful that each state has a statute of limitations setting a deadline to file a mesothelioma and asbestos-related lawsuit. Thus, meeting with a mesothelioma lawyer as soon as possible after a diagnosis is critical to preserve your rights to compensation in court.

Why Choose Bergman Oslund Udo Little?

Bergman Oslund Udo Little is the Pacific Northwest’s premier law firm for handling asbestos-exposure claims in Oregon and Washington. For nearly 30 years, the mesothelioma lawyers at our firm have fought to recover financial compensation from manufacturers, suppliers, and property owners who carelessly exposed trade workers to asbestos.

What separates us from other personal injury lawyers is our exclusive work in occupational asbestos exposure in Washington and Oregon and our compassionate, client-first focus. We’ve proudly represented asbestos-exposure victims, recovering over $1 billion in settlements, verdicts, and recoveries from asbestos trusts. Among those victories are the following highlights:

$4.9 million to a man diagnosed with mesothelioma at age 62: Our client was exposed to asbestos through his father, a pipefitter at Todd and Lockheed shipyards who carried asbestos home on his clothing and person.
$4.2 million to a man diagnosed with mesothelioma at age 62: Our client was exposed to asbestos at Bethlehem Steel in Seattle and had “take-home” exposure to asbestos from his father, who worked as a pipefitter.
$3 million to a man diagnosed with mesothelioma at age 75: Our client worked as a pipefitter at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in Bremerton, Washington.

But you don’t have to take it from us. Read what our satisfied clients have said in reviews and testimonials about our representation.

You don’t have to suffer alone. Our mesothelioma lawyers for plumbers and pipefitters can help you get the compensation you deserve. If you or a loved one suffers from mesothelioma due to occupational workplace exposure in Washington or Oregon, contact Bergman Oslund Udo Little for a free mesothelioma case review.