IOWA ASBESTOS Industrial Exposure Archive

Iowa Exposed Trades & Union Halls — Asbestos Exposure History

Iowa's construction trades and industrial union locals worked alongside asbestos on virtually every major industrial project from the 1930s through the 1980s. Insulators, boilermakers, pipefitters, electricians, ironworkers, and sheet metal workers encountered asbestos-containing materials every day — in new construction, maintenance shutdowns, and demolition. The union hall you worked out of shapes which facilities appear in your work history and which asbestos products you were exposed to. Click any local to read its documented exposure history and jobsite connections.

Full index of all 7 union locals
Full index of all 2 trade jobsites
Union Hall / Local
Trade Jobsite

Map shows 7 Iowa union locals and 2 documented trade exposure sites. Click any marker to read the exposure history.

Iowa Union Locals — Asbestos Exposure Histories

Asbestos Exposure at Pipefitters Local 33
Des Moines, Iowa: Former Worker Claims

URGENT DEADLINE WARNING FOR IOWA ASBESTOS CLAIMS:

If you or a loved one in Iowa has been diagnosed with mesothelioma or another asbestos-related disease, you have a limited time to …

Union HallTrades
Union Boilermakers Local 83 Des Moines I
Asbestos Exposure

For decades, Boilermakers Local 83 members in Des Moines, Iowa, performed demanding work, constructing, maintaining, and repairing industrial facilities across the state. This …

Union HallTrades
Operating Engineers Local 234
Des Moines, Iowa

For Members, Retirees, and Surviving Families

Urgent Filing Deadline: Iowa’s Two-Year Statute of Limitations (Iowa Code § 614.1(2))

If you or a family member has been …

Union HallTrades
IBEW Local 347
Des Moines, Iowa

Urgent Filing Deadline Warning for Iowa Asbestos Claims

If you or a loved one has just been diagnosed with mesothelioma or another asbestos-related disease, the clock is already …

Union HallTrades
United Steelworkers
Iowa Steel — Iowa City, Iowa

A Resource for Members, Retirees, and Surviving Families

Filing Deadline Warning: Act Now

If you or a family member worked at Iowa Steel and has received an asbestos-related …

Union HallTrades
United Food and Commercial Workers
Cedar Rapids, Iowa

A Resource for Workers, Survivors, and Families Pursuing Accountability

If you or a loved one has just received a mesothelioma diagnosis, the clock is already running. Iowa law …

Union HallTrades
Asbestos Workers Local 12
Des Moines, Iowa

If You Worked as an Insulation Mechanic in Iowa, You May Be Running Out of Time to File

For …

Union HallTrades

Which Trades Had the Highest Asbestos Exposure in Iowa?

Insulators (Heat & Frost)
The highest-risk trade. Insulators applied, removed, and repaired asbestos pipe covering, block insulation, and boiler lagging on virtually every industrial project. Fiber concentrations during pipe stripping regularly exceeded OSHA PELs by 10–100×.
Highest RiskHFIA
Boilermakers
Boilermakers built, repaired, and overhauled power plant boilers, industrial furnaces, and pressure vessels — all insulated with asbestos block and cement. Annual shutdown work at power plants created recurring high-exposure events throughout a boilermaker's career.
High RiskIBB
Pipefitters & Steamfitters
Pipefitters installed and maintained steam, process, and utility piping throughout industrial facilities. Working alongside insulators on every project, they disturbed asbestos pipe covering daily and were exposed to airborne fibers from neighboring trades' work throughout their careers.
High RiskUA
Electricians (IBEW)
Electricians worked in environments saturated with asbestos from adjacent trades, ran wiring through asbestos-insulated conduit, and worked alongside insulated electrical equipment at power plants, substations, and industrial facilities. Electrical panels and switchgear also used asbestos arc-suppression components.
High RiskIBEW
Ironworkers
Ironworkers erected structural steel in facilities where asbestos fireproofing was sprayed on structural members during construction. They were directly exposed during application and worked continuously in buildings where sprayed fireproofing remained in place for decades.
High RiskIronworkers
Carpenters
Carpenters worked in buildings throughout the construction and renovation era, disturbing asbestos floor tiles, ceiling tiles, joint compound (drywall mud), and insulated building components. Bystander exposure from other trades was also significant.
Moderate RiskUBC
Sheet Metal Workers
Sheet metal workers fabricated and installed HVAC duct systems lined with asbestos insulation board, and worked in boiler rooms alongside insulators. Cutting, bending, and fitting asbestos-insulated ductwork generated fiber clouds in confined mechanical spaces.
Moderate RiskSMWIA
Steelworkers (USW)
Steelworkers in Iowa's steel mills and basic metals industry faced asbestos refractory exposure at blast furnaces, coke ovens, and electric arc furnaces, plus asbestos gaskets throughout high-temperature process equipment.
Moderate RiskUSW
Iowa Filing Deadline for Trade Workers
Iowa gives asbestos disease victims two years from diagnosis to file under Iowa Code § 614.1(2). Union members frequently work at dozens of jobsites across their careers — your full work history matters. Contact a Iowa asbestos attorney to document every facility before the deadline.