Throughout much of the 20th century, many homes and buildings were built with hazardous asbestos-containing materials. Outside of the shipyard industry, the construction industry has been affected by asbestos-related diseases more than any other.
asbestos ceiling tiles was a product that received heavy usage in both residential and commercial buildings up until the 1970s. Today, asbestos-contaminated ceiling tiles can still be found in many older structures, including schools, office buildings and homes.
Common locations for these ceiling tiles were in “suspended” or “drop” ceilings, also known as “acoustic” ceilings. These ceilings were held up with a t-bar frame that allowed for an open space between the tiles and the roof. The extra space provided room for HVAC equipment, which increased the risk of asbestos fibers being distributed throughout the area.
Before the government began issuing warnings and guidelines concerning asbestos products, construction workers were at a very high risk of being exposed to a number of asbestos-containing materials.
Exposure to asbestos has been proven to cause several illnesses later in life, including lung cancer, asbestosis and malignant mesothelioma. While lung cancer and asbestosis usually take at least 10 years to develop, mesothelioma can take as long as 50 years from the time someone was initially exposed to asbestos.
Installers of ceiling tiles were especially at risk of inhaling asbestos fibers because the tiles often needed to be cut, sawed, sanded and grinded in order to fit. Such methods could have easily released asbestos fibers into the air. Before regulations of asbestos were in place, many who worked with these materials did not wear protective equipment to prevent the inhalation of fibers.
Many different companies manufactured asbestos ceiling tiles and some are clearly marked and easy to identify. Others may be less noticeable due to the age of the product. As a result, caution should always be taken when removing old ceiling tiles.
Additional information about mesothelioma and asbestos exposure may be found through the mesothelioma Center.