Westinghouse Electric

Westinghouse Electric Company was founded in 1886 when George Westinghouse built the first generating plant to produce alternating electrical current. Today, the company is a global player in the nuclear energy industry.

Owned by the Japanese conglomerate Toshiba, it is a major manufacturer and supplier of nuclear control technologies and commercial fuel products. In addition, the company offers plant design and start-up assistance for new facilities, as well as maintenance, training, quality management and engineering services.

The company grew quickly in its early years, employing 50,000 workers by 1900. It took on major electrical projects such as building the world’s fastest elevators in 1933 for New York’s Rockefeller Center. Westinghouse was later responsible for World War II-era inventions. Among other unique endeavors, the company created the first U.S. designed jet engine and the first airborne radar. Westinghouse video cameras, manned by astronauts, were even used to capture the first moon landing.

Westinghouse has acquired and relinquished many subsidiaries and corporations throughout its history, notably purchasing CBS Broadcasting Inc. in 1995. A year later, it sold its defense electronics businesses and bought Infinity Broadcasting. Changing its name to CBS Corp., the company sold its remaining industrial and commercial power businesses in the late 1990s. Later, British energy giant British Nuclear Fuels plc (BNFL) acquired Westinghouse Electric. After growing the company through acquisitions, BNFL sold Westinghouse Electric to Toshiba in 2006.

Westinghouse Electric and Asbestos

Asbestos was used by Westinghouse Electric in the manufacture of light bulbs and welding rods. It was also used in the form of insulation in Westinghouse power-generating facilities. Turbine workers and other plant employees may have come into contact with asbestos through working with or near cables, gaskets, packing, panels, paper, turbines or wire. Asbestos was used within machinery products for its ability to insulate and withstand high temperatures.

Employees located at Westinghouse facilities could have been exposed to asbestos without directly working with the material. Once asbestos fibers became airborne, they could easily travel to other parts of the plant. If inhaled, the workers faced the risk of developing an asbestos-related disease such as mesothelioma, lung cancer or asbestosis later in life.

Westinghouse Electric and Asbestos Litigation

Despite exposing thousands of workers to asbestos, Westinghouse had fewer than 3,000 asbestos claims filed against them by 1988. Given the myriad acquisitions over the years, Westinghouse Electric has been difficult to bring to the courtroom. Still solvent, the current company and its predecessors have vigorously defended asbestos claims in litigation rather than handling them through a settlement trust and bankruptcy protection. This could actually benefit asbestos-exposure victims since individual asbestos claims more frequently result in higher outcomes.

Many of the successful asbestos claims against Westinghouse have come in the form of workers’ compensation. Westinghouse workers – especially those in light bulb manufacturing and power plant construction and maintenance – were frequently exposed to airborne asbestos fibers during the manufacture of goods and the removal of insulation and wiring.

Former employees of Westinghouse who think they may have been exposed to asbestos during their employment should be aware of the symptoms associated with mesothelioma. If you or a loved one has already been diagnosed with an asbestos-related disease, our Doctor Match Program helps patients find specialists in their area.

For additional assistance or questions concerning asbestos exposure, contact our Patient Advocates at (800) 615-2270 or fill out the form on this page.