Tile Installers and Asbestos Exposure
Tile installers faced asbestos exposure from floor tiles, adhesives, and backing materials. Learn about vinyl asbestos tile risks and legal options.
Overview
Tile installation workers, floor layers, ceramic tile setters, and flooring contractors, faced decades of asbestos exposure from vinyl asbestos tiles (VAT), tile adhesives, and backing materials. Millions of buildings contain asbestos flooring installed between 1950 and 1980.
Tile installers today remain at risk when removing or disturbing asbestos-containing flooring in older buildings. Proper identification and abatement procedures are essential.
Asbestos in Flooring Products
| Product | Asbestos Content | Exposure Risk |
|---|---|---|
| Vinyl asbestos tile (VAT) | 10-25% | High when disturbed |
| Tile adhesives | Variable | High |
| Mastic/cutback adhesive | 5-15% | Very High |
| Sheet vinyl backing | Variable | Moderate |
| Underlayment | Variable | Moderate |
How Tile Workers Were Exposed
Installation (Historical)
- Cutting and fitting asbestos tiles
- Spreading asbestos-containing adhesives
- Sanding and leveling substrates
Removal and Renovation
The black mastic adhesive used to install vinyl asbestos tiles often contains more asbestos than the tiles themselves. Scraping or sanding this adhesive during renovation creates significant exposure risk.
Identifying Asbestos Floor Tiles
Common indicators of asbestos-containing floor tiles:
- Size: 9x9 inch tiles are almost always asbestos-containing
- Age: Installed between 1920-1980
- Appearance: Often solid colors, marbled patterns
- Backing: May have black fibrous backing paper
Current OSHA Requirements
Tile installers working with potential asbestos flooring must:
- Have materials tested before disturbance
- Use wet methods to minimize dust
- Wear appropriate respiratory protection
- Follow proper disposal procedures
- Receive asbestos awareness training
The Era That Built the Risk
Asbestos use in the United States increased greatly during World War II and stayed high for decades. The National Cancer Institute reports that domestic consumption peaked at about 803,000 metric tons in 1973, the same era when most vinyl asbestos tile went down, and had fallen to roughly 360 metric tons by 2015. The EPA banned new uses of asbestos in 1989, but uses developed before 1989 remained legal, which is why asbestos flooring stayed underfoot in millions of buildings rather than disappearing. OSHA lists floor tiles among the products that still expose workers during renovation, repair, and demolition, and states that no level of asbestos exposure is safe for any fiber type. That’s the tile installer’s modern reality: the hazard sits in the removal, not the new work.
Legal Options
Tile installers diagnosed with mesothelioma may pursue compensation through asbestos trust funds established by bankrupt flooring manufacturers (including Armstrong World Industries and Congoleum), product liability claims against solvent tile and adhesive makers, premises liability claims against building owners who failed to warn, and workers’ compensation through employer coverage.
References
National Cancer Institute. Asbestos Exposure and Cancer Risk.
https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/substances/asbestos/asbestos-fact-sheet
Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Asbestos: Overview, Health Effects, and Standards.
https://www.osha.gov/asbestos