For decades, industrial furnaces contained asbestos and HVAC workers also used gunning mixtures that contained asbestos because it is naturally resistant to heat and corrosion. Both characteristics were ideal for furnaces and widespread use in the HVAC industry. The gunning mixtures were used to line furnaces and repair holes in equipment by HVAC technicians. The asbestos exposure by HVAC technicians working with furnaces containing these gunning mixtures has led to many mesothelioma diagnoses.
Gunning mixtures containing asbestos are no longer manufactured in the United States, but extensive damage has already been done. Countless unsuspecting HVAC workers and technicians, furnace workers, homeowners, and construction contractors have been exposed to asbestos when the gunning mixtures were disturbed, deteriorated with age, or were improperly removed or replaced.
Many of the HVAC workers and technicians, furnace workers, homeowners, and construction contractors who were exposed to the gunning mixtures and diagnosed with mesothelioma have filed suit against the manufacturers of the dangerous material. The manufacturers failed to inform those workers who would be exposed that the mixes contained asbestos and that the exposure of this toxic substance can lead to mesothelioma.
Products Containing Asbestos
There were several different products that contained asbestos to which HVAC workers were exposed, including:
- Building materials. Asbestos can be found in construction materials such as ceiling tiles, firewall bricks, and joint compound. HVAC mechanics who performed repair work usin these materials are at risk of being exposed to asbestos.
- Insulation. Asbestos was commonly used for insulation for numerous types of machinery including boilers, furnace ducts, and piping.
Some of the HVAC manufacturers known to produce asbestos-containing products include Georgia Pacific, J-M Manufacturing Company, Johns Manville, W.R. Grace Corporation, and Rich Tex Incorporated.
On-the-Job Asbestos Exposure for HVAC Workers
Due to its heat resistant nature, asbestos was commonly used as insulation in buildings all over the country prior to the 1980s. HVAC workers were frequently working in the proximity of asbestos in buildings, the machinery they worked on, and the equiment they used. This exposure often occurred while HVAC mechanics were performing repair work or routine system maintenance.
We Understand how Hard it can be
Attorney Michael Throneberry lost his father in law to mesothelioma and has since dedicated his practice to helping asbestos-exposure victims achieve the compensation they deserve. It is why he devotes his law practice to asbestos litigation. We understand the physical, financial and emotional impact a mesothelioma diagnosis can have on the victim and his or her family. We are with you every step of the way through your medical treatment and pursuit of justice for your mesothelioma, asbestosis, or occupational lung cancer.
Call The Throneberry Law Group at 888-506-1131 for a no-obligation consultation and compassionate, proven representation.
