Asbestos Products

Duplex Pipe Covering

Asbestos containing materials were used throughout the last century for insulating pipes in heating and air conditioning applications. One of the more popular types of insulation was Duplex Pipe Covering. Duplex pipe covering containing asbestos is one of the applications of asbestos that is definitively banned in the United States. It is made of rolled asbestos paper, honey-combed to increase the air space between the inside and outside wrappers. It was preformed to wrap around heating and hot water pipes, and insulate them from the surrounding wood. Duplex pipe covering was used in homes and office buildings as late as the late 1970s.

Insulation workers (often called asbestos workers because nearly all insulation contained asbestos), construction workers and pipe fitters are among those occupational groups who are most likely to develop mesothelioma due to asbestos exposure. Their work typically included close and constant contact with asbestos containing substances, including many activities that created asbestos dust and fibers in the air. Inhaling asbestos fibers is the main cause of mesothelioma, a deadly cancer that affects the tissues lining the lungs and other organs. The other known cause of mesothelioma is ingesting asbestos fibers.

It's estimated that there are nearly 40 million homes in the United States that contain asbestos in insulation, ceiling tiles, flooring tiles, carpet pads and wallboards. In addition to building materials, though, asbestos was often added to pastes, glues, adhesives, paper wraps and fillers to make them fire and heat resistant. Workers who handled those products were exposed to levels of asbestos dust that is many times normal exposure.

It was not only the workers who installed asbestos materials that were exposed to high levels of asbestos, though. Employees of the companies that produced those materials were exposed to levels at least as high, often without any warning that they were handling and working with a hazardous substance. While the companies who supplied asbestos and manufactured asbestos products were aware of the dangers of working with the deadly dust, they kept silent about the hazards for fear of reducing their profits. Because of their greed, millions of American workers were exposed - and continue to be exposed - to asbestos dust every day.

Many of those who worked with asbestos products like duplex asbestos pipe covering will eventually be diagnosed with mesothelioma. Because it takes up to forty years for symptoms of mesothelioma to appear and be diagnosed, we may not know the full extent of the damage from asbestos for another 12 to 15 years.

If you worked with asbestos in the building or insulation trade, or were exposed to asbestos in any other trade or occupation, it's important that you pay attention to the warning signals for mesothelioma. Your doctor should be made aware of your history of asbestos exposure as well, so that he has all the facts he may need to make a diagnosis.

If you have been diagnosed with mesothelioma, you may also be entitled to sue the companies that were responsible for your illness. There were hundreds of companies who produced thousands of products containing asbestos during the 1900s. An experienced mesothelioma lawyer can help you get compensation for your illness from the companies who supplied the asbestos to which you were exposed. If you're uncertain, a consultation with an attorney who is experienced and knowledgeable about asbestos and mesothelioma can explain your options so that you can make an informed decision of the best way to proceed from here.

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