When Asbestos Use Declined

By the 1960s, researchers had published strong evidence linking asbestos to mesothelioma and other diseases among insulation workers and others. In the early 1970s, the newly created Occupational Safety and Health Administration issued asbestos exposure limits, which were tightened over the following years. The EPA began regulating asbestos as a hazardous air pollutant, banning spray-applied asbestos insulation and fireproofing in 1973 and later adding other restrictions. The Consumer Product Safety Commission acted against certain consumer products, such as asbestos-containing patching compounds, in the late 1970s. Each step made asbestos products more costly and less attractive to use.

Even after manufacturers stopped making certain products, existing inventories remained in warehouses, supply houses and job site storerooms. Contractors and maintenance departments used up those supplies, sometimes for years. Replacement parts for older equipment, such as gaskets and brake components, continued to contain asbestos in some cases. Buildings, ships and plants built earlier still held large amounts of asbestos that had to be repaired or removed. As a result, workers could encounter asbestos well after its heyday, especially during renovation, demolition and maintenance of older facilities. Workers in those settings often had no idea the materials they disturbed were decades old.

Many case review forms ask whether someone worked at industrial facilities or served in the military before the end of 1982. That date is a practical marker rather than a legal cutoff. It reflects the period when asbestos use was widespread and exposures were heaviest. Work after that point can still matter, particularly in maintenance, renovation, abatement and auto repair. When building your history, include later jobs too, but give special attention to earlier years, since those are the periods investigators most often focus on. A complete timeline gives the clearest picture of your exposure.

1. 1

   Mark which of your jobs took place before and after the early 1980s.

2. 2

   List maintenance or renovation work in older buildings, even if it happened later.

3. 3

   Note any supply rooms or old stock you remember using on job sites.

4. 4

   Include military service dates and assignments in the same timeline.