In the period between 1930 and 1970, asbestos fireproofing material was used heavily in the construction and chemical industries. Asbestos was durable, flexible, and highly resistant to heat and acid. Therefore, it was a desirable product for fireproofing and thermal insulation. At one time, asbestos the ‘miracle mineral’, was marketed as being 100% indestructible and fireproof.

Asbestos mixed with cement, resin, and other binding materials was used to produce things like fireproof asbestos cloth, pipe insulation, gaskets, refractories, boileries, valve packing, electric wires and cables, building material, jewelry-making supplies, cigarette filters, theatre curtains, fake snow, and bakelite, just to name a few. Asbestos fireproofing was put in place wherever thermal insulation was a necessity.

Subsequent to the linking of asbestos products to cancer in the 1970s, the use of asbestos insulation dropped. But the threat posed by asbestos did not stop. Even if these materials are no longer extensively produced and blatantly used, several existing buildings and products have asbestos in them. According to Mr. John Spruckfield, an engineer with a US building company, “any insulation that appears off-white and chalky and was produced before 1973 contains asbestos.” Dark grey insulation, found on stainless steel exposed to high temperature, is asbestos. Any fluffy or frayed white insulation around pipes is asbestos.

A survey conducted by The American Thoracic Society estimated that more than one million construction workers are still at risk of hazardous asbestos exposure, since they are working in buildings that contain asbestos insulation and other asbestos-fortified building materials that appear in siding, roofing, boiler rooms, and more.

Asbestos fireproofing tends to get flaky and brittle with age. Sometimes, maintenance workers perform a careless task of removing fireproofing and leave dangerous fibers sticking to the pipes. Fluffy and frayed asbestos is dangerous because it releases fibers. When these fibers are floating freely in the air, they are easily inhaled or ingested.

Asbestos exposure has been linked to a number of cancers, the most notable of these being mesothelioma. Every year, about 3,000 new cases of mesothelioma are diagnosed and more than 10,000 people die of the dreaded disease.

If you suspect asbestos exposure, either through direct or secondary contact, you may be eligible to seek compensation for your losses. Contact us to know more.