Gold Bond Cement
The National Gypsum Company, founded in 1925, was – for decades – America’s largest and most well-known producer of flexible gypsum wallboard. The founders of modern wallboard, they manufactured many of their products under the Gold Bond brand, which indicated that they were among “the best” products of their kind on the market.
The Gold Bond seal not only appeared on the popular gypsum wallboard but was also found on a number of complementary products, most of which contained asbestos. One such product was Gold Bond cement. This cement was manufactured using asbestos because the mineral made the cement stronger and more durable, allowing it to last longer than ordinary cement. This asbestos-containing cement, however, also posed health problems for those who encountered it on a regular basis, including National Gypsum Company factory workers and contractors or other tradesmen who used Gold Bond cement on the job.
Documents show that many executives and company owners involved with corporations who manufactured asbestos-containing products, such as those made at National Gypsum, may have known about the dangers of asbestos yet continued to allow the mineral to be used until the lat 1970s, when the U.S. government finally issued warnings about the hazards of inhaling asbestos dust. But for many individuals who had spent years breathing in this dust, the warnings came much too late. Many were already suffering from asbestos cancer such as mesothelioma. Some were dealt an even crueler hand – they developed mesothelioma, a very serious form of cancer that attacks the linings of the lungs, heart, or abdomen. Difficult to treat and impossible to cure, mesothelioma has been a sure death sentence for thousands over the years.
How does asbestos make you sick? When asbestos dust is released from products such as Gold Bond cement, which is prone to crumbling and releasing fibers – especially when old or damaged - the long sharp fibers can be easily inhaled by those in the vicinity of the dust. Once inhaled, the fibers lodge in the area of the lungs and cannot be expelled. Over time, the fibers cause inflammation and scarring of the lungs and may result in chest pain, coughing, and difficulty breathing. Sometimes, the inflammation creates tumors and results in mesothelioma.
Sadly, many lives could have been spared had asbestos executives been honest about their knowledge of the toxicity of asbestos. Some records show that these companies knew as early as the 1940s and 50s that the mineral might have been causing harm yet they did nothing. The result has been the loss of literally thousands of lives.
If you worked with Gold Bond cement or other Gold Bond products and have been diagnosed with mesothelioma, you may be one of those people who were affected by the massive asbestos cover-up. If so, you could be eligible for compensation. For more information about your legal rights, order our free mesothelioma resource packet.
Last modified: October 15 2008.
