Overview
Plasterers, skilled workers who apply plaster to walls and ceilings, faced asbestos exposure from asbestos-containing plaster mixes, textured coatings, and fireproofing spray. The mixing, application, and finishing of these materials created significant airborne asbestos fibers.
Asbestos in Plastering Materials
| Product | Asbestos Content | Exposure Level |
|---|---|---|
| Textured ceiling spray | 5-15% | Very High |
| Acoustic plaster | 5-15% | Very High |
| Fireproof plaster | 5-20% | High |
| Base coat plaster | 2-5% | Moderate |
| Patching compound | 3-6% | Moderate |
How Plasterers Were Exposed
How plasterers mixed raw asbestos materials
Dry plaster materials were mixed on site. Opening bags of Kaiser Gypsum and Georgia-Pacific plaster base released visible asbestos dust, and the act of mixing stirred additional fibers into the air around workers. Dry material accumulated on scaffolding, floors, and clothing, which carried fibers home at the end of the shift.
What spray and trowel application looked like on a job site
Applying plaster exposed workers to both wet and dry fibers. Spray application created aerosols containing chrysotile and amosite, hand application left wet asbestos slurry on gloves and forearms, and troweling released additional fibers as the coat stiffened. In large institutional rooms, a single morning of spray work could saturate the air for hours.
Why finishing exposed workers to the highest fiber counts
Completing plaster surfaces generated the dustiest phase of the job. Sanding dried plaster, scraping high spots, and texturing with brushes or rollers all pulled cured asbestos back into the breathing zone, often well above the OSHA permissible exposure limit of 0.1 fibers per cubic centimeter set in 1986.
Spray application of textured ceilings and acoustic plaster created the highest exposure, filling entire rooms with asbestos-containing mist.
Work Environments
Plasterers worked across homes and apartments, office buildings and retail spaces, schools and hospitals, factories and warehouses, and renovation jobs on existing plaster. Commercial and institutional work carried the heaviest exposure because textured ceiling spray and acoustic plaster were used most heavily in schools, offices, and hospitals built between 1940 and 1980.
Related Occupations
Plasterers worked alongside:
- Drywallers, Wall finishing
- Painters, Surface preparation
- Carpenters, Building construction
- Laborers, Material handling
- Hod carriers, Material supply
Related Industries
Health Consequences
Plasterers with asbestos exposure face elevated risk of mesothelioma, a cancer of the chest or abdominal lining; asbestosis, a progressive scarring of the lungs; lung cancer, with risk multiplied among smokers; and pleural disease that thickens the lining around the lungs.
Legal Options
Plasterers diagnosed with mesothelioma may pursue several tracks. Plaster and coating manufacturers including Kaiser Gypsum, Georgia-Pacific, and USG have established asbestos trust funds through bankruptcy reorganization, and claims against these trusts often proceed in parallel with product-liability suits against solvent manufacturers, premises-liability claims against building owners, and workers’ compensation through former employers.