Gold Bond Plaster
For centuries, people recognized the amazing qualities of the naturally-occurring mineral known as asbestos. Often dubbed the “miracle mineral”, asbestos caught the attention of early civilizations who lauded it for its fire-resistant properties and began using it in textiles and for other applications. As the years went on and the Industrial Revolution came and went, asbestos continued to gain in popularity. By the 19th and 20th centuries, manufacturers had found myriad uses for the mineral and it could soon be found in all sorts of products. At one point, an estimated 5,000 products contained asbestos, including many that were considered common household products.
The majority of products containing asbestos were used in the construction industry. As a matter of fact, construction workers have one of the highest rates of mesothelioma of all industries – second only to shipbuilders. Construction workers or contractors encountered many asbestos-containing products while on the job, including myriad products manufactured by the National Gypsum Company, once the leader in the manufacture of wallboard. National Gypsum also made a host of other products to complement their wallboard, included adhesives, cement, and plaster. Many of these items were considered to be “the best available” so were given the label “Gold Bond.”
Gold Bond plaster was used for a variety of applications including for crafting plain or decorative walls and ceilings. In order to make Gold Bond plaster more durable, the company added asbestos to the mixture. Many other plasters manufactured by other companies were mixed with asbestos as well. Asbestos-containing plasters presented many problems. First of all, those mixing the plaster with water for application were probably exposed to dangerous fibers during the mixing process. Secondly, the individual applying the plaster was subject to inhaling fibers as well. Thirdly, anytime the Gold Bond plaster became damaged or old and crumbly, asbestos dust would flake off and fibers would become airborne. That means anyone in the vicinity of the damaged or old plaster could inhale the dust as well.
Why is asbestos dust so dangerous? Quite simply, asbestos fibers are long, thin, and sharp and are easy to inhale. Unfortunately, however, once they are inhaled, it is impossible to expel these toxic fibers. Subsequently, they become lodged in the pleura, which is the lining of the lungs, and cause inflammation to occur. The inflammation can result in difficulty breathing, coughing, and chest pain. For some people who have inhaled asbestos, their problems progress no further than the inflammation. For others, however, the inflammation results in a creation of a tumor and a diagnosis of the cancer mesothelioma. Mesothelioma is a very aggressive form of the disease and there is currently no cure. It is also difficult to treat and most therapies do not offer much success at this time. Therefore, mesothelioma is a sure death sentence, with victims often dying within a year of diagnosis.
Many cases of mesothelioma could have been avoided had company executives shared information about the dangers of asbestos – information many companies had for decades before the U.S. government issued warnings about the toxic mineral. Unfortunately, many individuals were a victim of this mass asbestos cover-up.
If you were exposed to Gold Bond plaster or any other Gold Bond products and have developed mesothelioma, you may have been a victim of the cover-up as well. That means it’s important to be informed as to your legal rights as a mesothelioma victim. For more information and guidance, order our free mesothelioma resource kit today.
Last modified: September 23 2008.
