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Harcros Chemical Incorporated

Originally Thompson-Hayward Chemical, Harcros Chemical Incorporated was founded in 1917. The company was purchased by North American Phillips in 1961. Twenty years later, Harrison and Crossfields purchased a large majority of the company and the name was changed to Harcros at that time. However, the company has been privately held since a management buy-out occurred in 2001.

The company is headquartered in Kansas City, Kansas and boasts 28 plants/branches in 20 different states across the U.S. Aside from being a distributor of industrial chemicals, Harcros Organics division produces surfactants, emulsifiers, defoamers, and a variety of specialty products at its plant site in Kansas City. These products are sold to myriad industries including agriculture, food processing, leather processing, industrial and institutional cleaning, oil field services, petrochemical, water treatment, pulp and paper, and UV/EB coatings. Harcros also develops products to satisfy niche applications, according to the company's profile.

Harcros Chemical and Asbestos

Harcros Chemical, in one form or another, has been around for a long time. With almost 100 years of business under their belt, Harcros has been through good times and bad and, through the years, has employed scores of people in their many plants and branches across the U.S. As is the case with many chemical companies, working at Harcros can be quite dangerous. Chemical plants can seem like an accident waiting to happen due to the presence of all sorts of toxins as well as equipment and machinery that is hazardous.

During much of the 20th century, Harcros Chemical used toxic asbestos inside their plants. Asbestos was employed as an insulator for high-temperature equipment and may have also been used to coat friction parts (like brakes) on machinery that was used inside the plants. As a result, many employees were exposed to asbestos on a regular basis, and because asbestos fibers can become airborne, especially when the material is old or damaged, working near or with the mineral can be dangerous. Inhalation of fibers can cause severe lung damage including scarring and the development of diseases such as asbestosis and mesothelioma.

Harcros Chemical and Asbestos Litigation

Chemical plant workers can be found near the top of the list of those laborers most likely to develop mesothelioma. As a matter of fact, many are diagnosed with the disease each year, despite the fact that most uses of asbestos ceased in the late 1970s. Most cases of the disease, however, could have been avoided if what the medical community knew about asbestos had been shared with workers and not just executives.

As a result, when asbestos exposure victims became informed as to the hazards of working with the material, they began to consider who was to blame. It was clear that, in most cases, those who withheld information about asbestos' toxicity were negligent. Hence, it was logical to file suit against companies responsible for this blatant disregard for employee safety and health.

Harcros Chemicals has been named in myriad lawsuits, sometimes as a single defendant by those who worked in their plants, and sometimes as one of many defendants who were responsible for plaintiffs' exposure. Most of the suits state that “the plaintiff's exposure to and inhalation, ingestion, and absorption of asbestos fibers....was completely foreseeable and should have been anticipated by the defendants.”

Resources for Chemical Plant Workers

Mesothelioma is not a common household word. But for those who worked with asbestos, it's a word that's all too well known. Many Harcros Chemical Plant workers and those who worked at other similar facilities live with the possibility of developing this disease in their later years. It’s a scary thought. Nonetheless, it's necessary to be consistent about monitoring one's health so as to detect any sign of the disease as soon as possible.

If you need assistance in locating a mesothelioma testing facility or if you've already been diagnosed with the disease and have questions about treatment options or other issues, take a moment to complete the form on this page. To speak to someone personally, call one of our Patient Advocates at (800)615-2270.

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