Dow Chemical

The Dow Chemical Company got its start in 1897 when its namesake, Herbert Dow, decided to sell bleach commercially. Production began a year later, and by 1906, after a merger with Midland Chemical, Dow was producing agricultural chemicals and food preservatives. The company exited the bleach business in 1913 and began to market calcium chloride, magnesium metal and acetyl salicylic acid.

A bevy of additional new products were released in the 1920s and Dow remained solvent throughout the Great Depression. The year 1935 marked the company's entry into the plastics business, and when World War II began, Dow produced magnesium and synthetic rubber for the military. The company went international in 1951.

The 1960s brought an onslaught of new and familiar Dow products such as Handi-Wrap and Ziploc bags. The success of the company continued as they manufactured products for use in the space program and automotive industry. By the 1980s, Dow more than doubled their household products division and by 1986, the company was the world's largest producer of thermoplastics.

While Dow continued to grow during the 1990s and into the 21st century, concern about the company's plants and their impact on the environment prompted the company to form the Corporate Environmental Advisory Council, assigned to study issues such as reducing toxic emissions. In 1999, Dow merged with Union Carbide and the latter became a subsidiary of the former. The merger made them the second-largest chemical corporation in the world.

Today, Dow's plants manufacture more than 5,000 different products at 188 sites in 35 different countries around the world. More than 50,000 individuals work for Dow, and in 2010, the company posted annual sales of $53.7 billion.

Dow has long been aware that their plants can have an adverse effect on the environment, hence the formation of an environmental study group within the company. While their attention to the environment is admirable, the company operated for decades with little or no regard for the health of those both inside and outside their facilities.

Dow Chemical and Asbestos

A good example of the dangers facing Dow employees is the impact that the toxic mineral asbestos had on Dow workers. Dow used asbestos materials inside their plants, as asbestos was the most popular insulating material during much of the 20th century.

Most chemical plants used asbestos as a lining for high-temperature equipment such as boilers, tanks, ovens, furnaces, pipes and heat exchangers. Employees who worked with this equipment were often issued protective gear made of asbestos cloth, which was believed to protect workers from burns and other heat-related hazards.

When asbestos is in good condition, it tends to be safe. However, when it is damaged or worn – as was often the case in a busy chemical plant – the material was hazardous.

Worn asbestos materials release millions of microscopic asbestos fibers into the air. These airborne fibers can then be inhaled and become lodged in the chest and lung tissue. As a result, lung scarring often occurs and breathing can become difficult. In some cases, Dow chemical plant workers would develop the cancer known as mesothelioma, decades after exposure. Symptoms of the disease can take 20 to 50 years to appear, due to the long latency period. Those who worked at Dow in the 1970s might still be diagnosed with this aggressive form of cancer even today.

Dow Chemical and Asbestos Litigation

The saddest thing about asbestos diseases is that usually could have been prevented if company owners had listened to warnings from doctors and researchers at the time. Instead, company owners continued to use asbestos in their plants, not only because it worked well but also because it was inexpensive. Furthermore, to replace all asbestos materials with something safer would have been very costly to the company.

When workers finally became aware of the fact that it was asbestos that was making them sick, many decided to sue their employers for negligence. Indeed, if employers had halted the use of asbestos in the 1930s or 1940s, when reports were first released about the toxicity of asbestos, generations of chemical plant workers could have been spared.

Dow has faced their share of asbestos lawsuits in recent years. Many of these suits involved multiple plaintiffs and sometimes multiple defendants. One class action suit from the 1990s was filed by 8,000 plaintiffs and involved 259 defendant corporations, including Dow. Dow was the only company in the 1990 suit that did not settle out of court.

Just recently, the family of a deceased worker at the company's plant in Midland, Michigan, was awarded $9 million from Dow and co-defendant Alcoa because the employee died of mesothelioma due to exposure at both places of employment. A lawyer for the plaintiffs said verified that the deceased worker had been exposed to asbestos while employed at Dow Chemical, and years later developed asbestos cancer. The lawyer established that Dow was aware of the cancer risks associated with asbestos at the time it was being used.

Resources for Chemical Plant Workers

If you were exposed to asbestos at a Dow Chemical plant, it is important that you make regular appointments with your doctor to monitor the development of any respiratory-related illness. While symptoms such as cough, chest pain and shortness of breath can signify any number of diseases, they are also a sign of mesothelioma.

If you need to locate mesothelioma testing in your area, call one of our Patient Advocates who have access to a unique Doctor Match Program that helps asbestos victims find medical professionals in the area. For more information, fill out the form on this page or call (800) 615-2270 for immediate assistance.