Asbestos Insulation Products

Pipe covering came in preformed half-round sections that were fitted around pipes and held in place with bands or cloth. Block insulation was used on boilers, tanks and large equipment. Insulating cement arrived as a dry powder that workers mixed with water and troweled on, often to cover joints and irregular shapes. Asbestos blankets and cloth wrapped turbines, valves and other equipment. Sprayed insulation was used in some buildings and industrial settings. These products were made by many different manufacturers, and several sold well-known brand names that investigators can now trace.

Many insulation products were friable, meaning they crumbled easily and released fibers with little pressure. Workers cut pipe covering with saws and knives, mixed dry cement in buckets, and tore out old insulation by hand. The dust spread through engine rooms, plant floors and building mechanical spaces. Insulators themselves had very heavy exposure, but so did pipefitters, boilermakers, electricians and laborers working nearby. Cleanup often involved sweeping debris, which put fibers back into the air. Protective equipment was rarely used during the peak years of insulation work. Workers often describe dust so thick that it was hard to see across a room.

Many companies that manufactured or sold asbestos insulation eventually filed for bankruptcy and created trusts to pay current and future claims. Each trust has its own procedures, and many maintain lists of sites where their products were used. Identifying the insulation brands present at your job sites can open multiple trust claims. This is why investigators ask detailed questions about the color of pipe covering, the markings on boxes and the names of suppliers. Coworker memories and prior testimony from the same sites often confirm which products were used. Each trust sets its own evidence rules, so product details matter.

1. 1

   Write down any insulation brand names or box markings you remember seeing.

2. 2

   Describe how insulation was applied or removed at each site you worked.

3. 3

   Note whether you mixed insulating cement or worked near others who did.

4. 4

   Ask former coworkers which insulation contractors worked at your job sites.