Before radical changes in the manufacturing practices of many of the country’s cement, asphalt and concrete plants, several companies used asbestos not only in the products they produced, but in the production facilities themselves. Asphalt and cement are relatively safe to work with today, but back in the 1960s it wasn’t unusual for asphalt and cement to contain some percentage of asbestos.
Asbestos was used to help reinforce paving materials and insulate and fireproof building materials. Unfortunately, prolonged inhalation of asbestos fibers is known to cause serious illnesses including asbestosis, lung cancer and mesothelioma.
In more recent years, former employees of asphalt and concrete manufacturers have developed asbestos-related diseases and suffered from mesothelioma, lung cancer and other serious illnesses.
A great deal of medical research has shown that exposure to dust and fibers emitted from asbestos-containing materials can directly cause mesothelioma and other deadly cancers.
Joe Lyon is a highly-rated asbestos lawyer and personal injury lawyer representing plaintiffs nationwide in a wide variety of toxic tort and mesothelioma claims.
Asphalt & Cement Plant Hazards
Asphalt and cement plant workers were sometimes responsible for mixing, forming and distributing products that often included asbestos. Even though the products probably only contained 10 percent asbestos, it was enough to make the mix toxic.
Workers at cement and concrete plants may have used pumps and valves to shift the flow of materials between tanks. Asbestos-containing could have been used as packing material in pumps and valves to prevent leaks.
Asbestos-containing gaskets were also utilized at cement companies to create tight seals between pipes, pumps, valves and other equipment within the pumping system. Workers may have been tasked with replacing toxic gaskets during regular maintenance.
Asbestos was regularly added to concrete and asphalt to make the mix stronger, and as a result, workers went home with the fibers on their clothes and skin, exposing their families to the same dangers they faced at the workplace.
Asbestos in Concrete & Cement
Risks of exposure in cement and concrete plants could stem from opening bags of raw materials by hand without respiratory safety protection. Moving and stacking cement and asphalt products could have released toxic dust into the air.
Simply transferring products to the shipping department could have led to the disturbance of hazardous dust. Products were often placed in elevators and conveyors where airborne toxins could circulate throughout a plant.
Asphalt and cement plants that may have exposed workers to asbestos include the following:
- Chevron Asphalt Company
- Bardstown Asphalt Plant
- Kosmos Portland Cement
- Chevron Asphalt
- Ashland Asphalt
- Northern Kentucky Asphalt
- Kentucky Asphalt Company
- Ready Mix Concrete Company
- Columbia Cement
- Marquette Cement
- Ohio Tar & Asphalt
- Asphalt Paving & Supply
- Atlantic Refining Asphalt Plant
- Trumbull Asphalt
- Tuff-Cote
- Radel Concrete
Signs & Symptoms of Mesothelioma
Mesothelioma can lay dormant for decades, though once discovered it has usually progressed into a terminal condition. Mesothelioma, which affects the tissue surrounding the lungs, causes symptoms that may include:
- Chest pain
- Persistent coughing
- Fatigue
- Shortness of breath
- Lumps of tissue in the abdomen
- Weight loss
- Systemic inflammation
Asphalt Asbestos Exposure Lawsuits
The legal system holds cement, asphalt and concrete producers accountable for maintaining a safe work environment. When occupational injuries occur, these companies and their parent companies are liable for damages and must compensate the victims of their unsafe corporate practices.
Plaintiffs and attorneys allege that cement and asphalt manufacturers knew about the potential health dangers of asbestos products and failed to warn or protect their employees.
