Gold Bond Asbestos Sheets
Asbestos has always been known as an excellent insulator. For centuries, individuals from many civilizations recognized its unique qualities. Even in the early days of the Roman Empire, records show that people were in awe of asbestos’ fire-resistant properties. But early historians also noticed other things about asbestos, namely the way it affected the health of those who mined the naturally-occurring mineral. Pliny the Elder, a well-known historian, made mention of the frequent illnesses and early deaths of slaves who worked in the mines but it took literally hundreds of years for people to start paying attention to his observations.
For decades after the Industrial Revolution, companies manufactured products using dangerous asbestos. One of the premiere manufacturers of asbestos-containing products through most of the twentieth century was the National Gypsum Company. They became quite well known for their durable and inexpensive Gold Bond brand insulation products, including Gold Bond asbestos sheets and other complementary products, including adhesive, cement, and plaster. Gold Bond products were the top sellers in their industry and were touted for their excellent heat- and fire-resistant properties. What most users didn’t realize, however, was that these products were causing harm as well.
Gold Bond asbestos sheets were used for a number of different applications and may have been wrapped around duct work, boilers, or other equipment that operated at high temperatures. The sheets were safe as long as they were intact. However, if they were cut by those tradesmen involved in installation, dangerous asbestos fibers may have been released. In addition, any one performing repairs on items wrapped in Gold Bond asbestos sheets may have been exposed to airborne asbestos dust as well, especially if the sheets were damaged or old and crumbly.
The result of exposure to asbestos dust can be deadly and many individuals who worked with asbestos sheets and other Gold Bond products are now suffering from asbestos-related diseases decades later or have already succumbed to mesothelioma, an aggressive cancer for which the only known cause is exposure to toxic asbestos. For these victims, suffering could have been avoided had those who knew about the dangers of asbestos been truthful about the facts. Records show that a number of executives involved in the manufacture of asbestos products knew that asbestos could cause serious pulmonary diseases yet they kept the facts to themselves and refused to reveal the truth. Because of this massive cover-up, many lives were lost.
Courts of law are now recognizing that these secretive individuals played a large part in the death of many employees and others who were exposed to their products and judges and juries are now awarding compensation to help with medical bills and other expenses. Experienced asbestos attorneys are helping these individuals get the compensation they deserve. If you have mesothelioma due to exposure to Gold Bond asbestos sheets or other Gold Bond products, you should take time to learn more about your legal rights. For more details, order our free mesothelioma information packet today.
Last modified: September 23 2008.
