Sandblasters and abrasive blasters stripped coatings, rust, and old insulation off steel, tanks, pipes, and structures in shipyards, refineries, power plants, and factories. That work put them in the middle of enormous clouds of dust — and when the surface being blasted was coated with asbestos fireproofing, insulation, or refractory, blasters inhaled asbestos fiber along with the abrasive.
How Sandblasters Were Exposed
Blasting is, by design, a violent dust-generating process. When blasters cleaned steel that had been sprayed with asbestos fireproofing, or prepped equipment still coated in asbestos insulation or refractory, the abrasive stream tore that material apart and threw asbestos fiber into the air. Blasters worked in confined tanks, vessels, and enclosures where the dust concentrated, often with minimal ventilation, and both the blaster and the pot tender nearby breathed it.
The Asbestos Materials — and the Products They Came In
Exposure tracked to the asbestos materials blasters removed. Each links to products documented in the AsbestosIndex as allegedly asbestos-containing:
Sprayed fireproofing (blasted off structural steel):
Pipe & block insulation (stripped off equipment before blasting):
Refractory & insulating cement (removed from furnaces and high-temperature equipment):
Take-Home Risk to Families
Like other dusty trades, sandblasters carried asbestos fibers home on their clothing, skin, and tools — exposing spouses and children who never worked with asbestos. See take-home asbestos exposure.
If you worked as a sandblaster or abrasive blaster and were diagnosed with mesothelioma or another asbestos-related disease after exposure to asbestos on the job, you may have a legal claim.
Product references reflect allegations documented in publicly filed asbestos litigation. This information is published by an independent media organization — not a law firm — and is educational only. It does not constitute legal advice or provide legal services.