Due to the fire-prone nature of generating power at Stratton, Ohio’s WH Sammis power plant, asbestos insulation was regularly installed throughout buildings in the machinery, walls, pipes, boilers, and electrical components. As a result, many Sammis power plant workers have been exposed to asbestos, unknowingly inhaling toxic fibers, and potentially leading to serious diseases and cancers like mesothelioma.
The W.H. Sammis power plant, owned and operated by the FirstEnergy Corporation, is the largest coal-fired power plant in Ohio. The plant was located on the bank of the Ohio River in Stratton, Ohio in Jefferson County. The plant’s first generator unit went into operation in 1959. Additional coal-fired generators were added in the late 1960s and early 1970s.
At the time, asbestos was a common construction material used in power generation facilities. It was used extensively in industry to protect ducts and pipework in environments that exposed them to high temperatures. Likewise, the walls and infrastructure of boiler rooms and furnaces used asbestos as a safety measure to protect the plant property from explosions.
The Sammis generation plant has employed thousands of technicians and support personnel, as well as independent contractors and temporary employees on site. Many former workers at Sammis and other Ohio power plants have filed injury claims. Lawyers say their employers failed to provide safe work environments or at least warn workers of the potential deadly risks of the workplaces.
Nearly any worker in an Ohio power plant could be at risk of developing serious health issues, including asbestosis, lung cancer, and mesothelioma.
Joe Lyon is a highly-rated Cincinnati asbestos lawyer and Ohio personal injury attorney representing plaintiffs nationwide in a wide variety of toxic tort and mesothelioma claims.
Power Plant Workers at Asbestos Risk
Asbestos-related deaths have been well-documented in the global power industry. A recent study published by the Journal of Occupational Medicine and Toxicology, states a “vast number of employees were affected” in the power generation industry.
The study notes that the increased exposure to asbestos put several power plant occupations at high-risk of developing asbestos-related diseases such as asbestosis, lung cancer and mesothelioma.
In the past, Ohio power plant workers often risked toxic exposure by wearing protective clothing which contained asbestos—including protective coats, aprons, mitts and masks. The asbestos insulation in buildings and clothing broke down and released toxic fibers into the air, endangering workers throughout a number of Ohio work sites.
Mesothelioma is most commonly diagnosed in men between the ages of 50 and 75 years old. There are over 2,000 malignant mesothelioma cases diagnosed each year in the United States.
