Thousands of Ford Motor and Canton Drop Forge Plant workers in Canton, Ohio were at severe risk of terminal health issues as a result of asbestos exposure. Depending on their occupation, forging industry workers may have faced toxic exposure. The Canton Drop Forge Plant was likely built with asbestos bricks, boilers, piping drywall, and insulation on various forging equipment.
Canton Drop Forge, still around today, has been part of the automobile forging industry for over a hundred years. The company produced products for railways, aerospace, and, maybe the most well-known, for Ford Motor and the rest of the automobile industry. In the early years, Canton Drop Forging mostly manufactured parts for railroads then worked primarily for the auto industry.
Many workers back in the war years made aircraft parts in a facility known as Plant B. They forged parts for land and air combat forces, providing components to the aerospace industry. Canton Drop Forge expanded after the war and focused on the aerospace and oil & gas industries with turbine blades and jet engine discs. The company now services the Aerospace, Oilfield, Power Generation, Mechanical Power Transmission, and Railway industries.
Why is Asbestos Hazardous?
The material itself seemed innocuous for many years until medical experts found cancer clusters in certain areas around the country. It was discovered in many industries that asbestos was causing severe lung disease. When inhaled, asbestos dust was getting lodged in lung tissues and developing into asbestosis, lung cancer and mesothelioma.
Joe Lyon is a highly-rated Ohio asbestos lawyer representing Canton Drop Forge Plant and Ford Motor workers in mesothelioma cancer claims.
Symptoms of Asbestos Lung Diseases
Asbestos-related illnesses and lung cancers have a long latency period, and many forge workers may not be diagnosed for up to 40 years after their first exposure. Symptoms of lung diseases like asbestosis, lung cancer and mesothelioma can include:
• Chest Pain
• Cough
• Fatigue
• Trouble swallowing
• Swelling of the abdomen
