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Asbestos Rope

Asbestos is a naturally-occurring fibrous substance that is an excellent insulator, and is both flame-retardant and fire-resistant. It was widely used in more than 5,000 products for most of the twentieth century, despite the dangers. Asbestos was most often used in the ship-building industry and in the manufacture of construction materials.

Asbestos rope and yarn has been used as lagging (insulation) on jointing and pipes, as packing material around windows, as insulation for electrical equipment, and as heat-resistant sealing for boilers and ovens. Asbestos rope may contain anywhere between 40% and 100% asbestos rope depending on its function.

The Dangers of Asbestos

Asbestos poses a health risk because it is made up of tiny fibers that can become airborne, and inhaled into the lungs. When these fibers work their way into the lungs they cannot be excreted, and if long term exposure occurs, these fibers can eventually cause the development of lung diseases. Lung cancer, asbestosis, and a rare form of cancer called mesothelioma are all known to be caused by asbestos exposure. All of these diseases typically take several decades to develop after asbestos exposure.

Mesothelioma is particularly lethal because the disease is very difficult to diagnose, and because there is no cure and no effective treatments available. The symptoms of mesothelioma are very non-specific in the early stages of the disease, resembling those of much less serious viral infections such as pneumonia and influenza. Of the two thousand Americans diagnosed with mesothelioma every year, approximately 50% will survive less than two years after diagnosis.

The presence of asbestos in the home via asbestos rope and other materials does not always present a health risk. If the material is intact and in good condition, there is little chance that asbestos fibers will become airborne. However, any disturbance to the materials may cause fibers to be released into the air, where they may be inhaled. The greatest risk of asbestos exposure is in people who have worked in manufacturing industries where asbestos was used in the past.

Asbestos and your Legal Rights

In 1977, the Consumer Product Safety Commission banned the use of asbestos in most construction materials. However, the dangers of asbestos had been known as early as the 1930s, and this ban came far too late for many thousands of workers. Many companies that used asbestos in manufacturing, or made products containing asbestos, failed to provide their workers with adequate protection from asbestos. The greatest tragedy of the widespread use of asbestos up until the 1980s is that this lack of protection for workers exposed many thousands of people to asbestos unnecessarily.

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