Westinghouse Electric - Asbestos Product Manufacturers

Westinghouse Electric Company was founded in 1886 by George Westinghouse. It later became known as Westinghouse Electric Corporation and was noted for lighting the Chicago World's Fair in 1893 with over a quarter million lights. During the 1930s, the company made great strides while opening the Home of Tomorrow in 1934 to show home appliances. In 1937, the company revolutionized nuclear physics research with the creation of the first industrial Atom Smasher (an important piece of technology in the development of nuclear power).

In the 1940s, the company branched off into aviation with airborne radar, jet engine propulsion, and ground based lighting. By 1941, the company signed a national labor agreement after fighting the unionization of its employees. Then in 1945, the company renamed itself the Westinghouse Electric Corporation.

In the 1950s, the company branched into finance by starting the Westinghouse Credit Corporation. Then in 1960, the company took over ThermKing, entering the world of automated mass transit. During the 1970s, the home appliance division was sold off and became White-Westinghouse. The company later sold off the oil refineries and other civic projects in Iran.

The 1980s marked a great deal of buying and selling of interests. The company bought cable television from TelePrompter in 1981 only to sell it again four years later. In 1982, the company bought Unimation and sold its street light division. In 1988, the company sold its elevator/escalator division and closed the East Pittsburg plant.

Asbestos-Containing Products

Like many other power plants, Westinghouse Electric used asbestos primarily for insulation. However, the use of asbestos increased the risks of lung diseases for many of the employees. Products made or used by the Westinghouse Electric Company that included asbestos were:

• Cable
• Gaskets
• Packing
• Panels
• Paper
• Turbines
• Wire

Asbestos-Related Occupations

Due to the extensive use of asbestos, anyone who worked around the plants could be at risk for asbestos exposure and subsequent development of mesothelioma. This included turbine workers, plant employees, overseers, and other employees. Also at risk were those who worked with the wiring and cables that carried the electricity. Since asbestos does not conduct electricity, it was commonly used as insulation around the wiring.

Current Events

In 2005, Westinghouse was put on the market for sale, garnering the interest of several bidders. This included General Electric, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, and Toshiba. In 2006, Toshiba won the bid, buying Westinghouse Electric Company for $5.4 billion. The sale was a surprise to many industry leaders when the world was on the brink of investing heavily in nuclear power.

Due to the changing of hands, asbestos-related lawsuits against the company have taken longer to process. If you think you have been injured as a result of working for Westinghouse Electric or coming in contact with their products and would like more information on mesothelioma, please fill out the form on this page to receieve an informative packet.