Union: United Association (UA) — Plumbers & Pipefitters

How Pipefitters & Steamfitters Were Exposed to Asbestos

During normal duties, Pipefitters & Steamfitters were routinely exposed to asbestos-containing materials in New Jersey industrial, commercial, and public construction work from the 1930s through the 1980s. Documented exposure pathways drawn from public litigation records and industrial hygiene literature include:

  • Cutting into insulated steam and process lines to add fittings
  • Removing and replacing asbestos pipe gaskets at flanged joints
  • Repacking valve stems with asbestos rope packing
  • Working below insulators stripping pipe covering overhead
  • Hot work (welding, brazing) on asbestos-insulated lines
  • Maintaining steam traps, strainers, and heat exchangers with asbestos gaskets

Why This Matters for New Jersey Workers

If you worked as a pipefitters & steamfitters in New Jersey during the asbestos era and have been diagnosed with mesothelioma, asbestosis, lung cancer, or pleural disease, you may have a legal claim — even if your employer is no longer in business. Many asbestos product manufacturers have established bankruptcy trust funds that continue to pay qualified claimants based on documented exposure history.

New Jersey Filing Deadlines — Two Separate Clocks

New Jersey keeps the personal-injury clock (N.J.S.A. 2A:14-2 — 2 years from the date of diagnosis) and the wrongful-death clock (N.J.S.A. 2A:31-3 — 2 years from the date of death) on separate, independent tracks. Preserving one does not extend the other. An asbestos attorney with New Jersey experience can keep both options open as your situation evolves.

Talk to an Asbestos Attorney With New Jersey Experience

A free, confidential consultation with O’Brien Law Firm in St. Louis can evaluate your specific exposure history and filing-deadline situation. No fee unless they pursue a legal claim.

☎ (314) 237-7046

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