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How a Packing and Gasket Manufacturing Worker Can Get Mesothelioma by Occupational Exposure to Asbestos
Packing and gasket manufacturing workers worked in factories where gaskets were produced. Gaskets prevent pipes and machinery from leaking by sealing the small spaces in between metal components. This makes them an essential part of many systems.
Because asbestos was cheap, durable, resistant to heat and water and readily available, it was often used for many products, including gaskets. Engineers often recommended using asbestos mixed with fiber fillers to seal mechanical systems that transported water, oil, steam, hot gases, acids and chemicals for these reasons.
Gaskets that were cut from asbestos sheet packing were also used in various settings, including in factories, at refineries, in power plants and on ships. When workers take apart old industrial machinery or engines, they may be exposed to these asbestos-containing gaskets.
Locations in the United States with the Highest Employment Rates for Packing and Gasket Manufacturing Workers
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, there are currently 663,970 workers classified in the job category of hand packers and packagers. States with the highest employment rates for these workers include:
- California
- Illinois
- Texas
- Florida
- New Jersey
Similar Occupations as Packing and Gasket Manufacturing Workers
Some occupations that are similar to packing and gasket manufacturing workers include:
- Boilermakers
- Electricians
- Gasfitters
- Hand laborers and material movers
- Heating, air conditioning and refrigeration mechanics and installers
- Industrial machinery mechanics
- Machinery maintenance workers
- Packaging and machine operators and tenders
- Pipefitters
- Sprinkler-fitters
- Steamfitters
- Warehouse workers
Lawsuits and Settlements Involving Packing and Gasket Manufacturing Workers and Mesothelioma
Many workers who developed mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases after working with gaskets that contained asbestos were often able to receive compensation after filing a lawsuit against the manufacturers of the products they were exposed to. For example, in 2008, a retired Navy worker who installed and removed asbestos sheet packing products manufactured by John Crane for more than 20 years filed a lawsuit against John Crane, Inc. The man died three weeks before the trial, but his family continued the case. After an expert witness testified that the sheet packing and gaskets manufactured by the defendant contributed to the man’s death and another expert testified that the asbestos industry was aware of the dangers of asbestos since the 1930s, the jury awarded his family nearly $4 million in compensation. This award covered nearly $500,000 in the man’s medical expenses, as well as his pain and suffering and his widow’s loss of consortium.
Studies Related to Packing and Gasket Manufacturing Workers and Asbestos
The dangers of asbestos in gaskets has long been known. In 1991, a study entitled “Exposure to Asbestos from Asbestos Gaskets” detailed the use of asbestos in gaskets, noting that asbestos gaskets had been used at the time for more than 50 years and that exposure to gasket manufacturing workers was well-documented. It also noted that the Environmental Protection Agency banned the use of asbestos gaskets in the United States in 1994, about 20 years after the harmful effects of asbestos exposure were well known. In 2007, the study “Exposure to airborne asbestos during removal and installation of gaskets and packings: a review of published and unpublished studies” was published in the Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health. It noted the concerns of the public about the health risk to people who were occupationally exposed to asbestos-containing gaskets and packing materials used in pipes, valves and machinery.
In the 2006 study entitled “Assessment of airborne asbestos exposure during the servicing and handling of automobile asbestos-containing gaskets,” researchers noted that five test sessions were conducted on mechanics that repaired vehicles containing asbestos gaskets. Approximately 21% of air samples collected showed the presence of chrysotile asbestos fibers.
Types of Asbestos Products Used by Packing and Gasket Manufacturing Workers
Packing and gasket manufacturing workers may have come into contact with a variety of products that contained asbestos. The most likely form of asbestos exposure was the gaskets themselves, which often contained asbestos. Additionally, asbestos-containing talc was often used as a lubricant with these gaskets.
Other parts that were sealed with asbestos gaskets include:
- Boilers
- Compressors
- Condensers
- Engine cylinder heads
- Heat exchangers
- Pipes
- Pumps
- Valves
Individuals who worked in factories where these types of products were manufactured may have been exposed to asbestos.
Manufacturers of Asbestos Products Used by Packing and Gasket Manufacturing Workers
Packing and gasket manufacturing workers who worked for the following companies or in factories where products from the companies listed below were used may have been exposed to asbestos:
- Anchor packing company
- Chemical & Power Products, Inc.
- Crane Co.
- Durabla Manufacturing Company
- Flexitallic Gasket Company
- Garlock Packing and Garlock Sealing Technologies
- Goetze Gasket and Packing Company, Inc.
- Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company, Inc.
- Greene, Tweet & Company
- John Crane Inc.
- Johns Manville
- McCord Manufacturing Company, Inc.
- Melrath Supply and Gasket Company
- Raybestos-Manhattan
