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Brewing companies often utilized asbestos in the process of filtering beer, as well as in the construction of the buildings themselves. The mineral could be found in brewing filters, as well as in pipe insulation, cement and other materials in these companies’ structures built before 1980.
Workers from breweries around the country, individuals who have visited the historic buildings and even consumers of beverages from breweries that used asbestos in their filtering process may be at risk of asbestos exposure, which can lead to diseases such as mesothelioma. Asbestos was utilized in more than 100 brewing facilities in the United States, and still poses a health risk to workers and the public today.
Asbestos Use at Brewing Companies
Asbestos was most often used in the brewing industry for filtering impurities from beer and other alcohol. Brewers found that paper alone would break down quickly when purifying alcohol and other beverages, so using asbestos in combination with paper enhanced its durability. Some breweries used as much as 50% asbestos in their filters, and would sometimes use over 100 filters every day in the brewing process. When the filters wore out from continued use, fibers could be inhaled by workers and possibly even be ingested by consumers. These filters were actively used until at least 1980, though breweries in the United States now utilize other materials for filtration.
Though asbestos is no longer utilized for beer filters, employees at brewing companies can still face exposure from other materials and equipment within the older buildings. The mineral was often used for the buildings’ construction to provide heat resistance and provide insulation. Asbestos can be found in breweries built in the 1900s in cement, insulation and other common construction materials. More than 100 brewing companies that used asbestos can be found below, listed according to state.
Brewing Company Workers and Mesothelioma Risk
Those who work in breweries are at risk of developing mesothelioma or other asbestos-related diseases as a direct result of exposure, whether from the old filtration process or from the structural use of asbestos.
Brewers, engineers, maintenance men and other employees who work hands-on with equipment or in the buildings are still at risk of exposure today. Even the public taking brewery tours of old buildings may face exposure from any damaged asbestos materials inside. With the brewing industry’s workforce growing rapidly each year, reaching almost 70,000 employees in 2017, thousands of workers may have been exposed to asbestos while on the job.
Federal agencies such as the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) have created laws and regulations to protect workers and the public from dangerous exposure. Despite these laws, however, millions of workers in breweries and numerous other industries are still exposed to asbestos on the job each year.
