Textile Mill Workers and Asbestos

How Are Textile Mill Workers Exposed to Asbestos?

Textile mill workers worked directly with asbestos fibers. They blended these fibers into fabric. Making asbestos fabric was a long process that stirred up a lot of dust. A significant amount of dust was released during weaving, as threads rubbed together and filled the air with the toxic fibers.

Workers moved asbestos from storage, mixed it with cotton and stacked the mix in layers on the floor. Then they fed it into machines that picked and carded the fibers, lining them up before spinning them into yarn. The yarn was then woven, knitted or crocheted into fabric.

Even workers who didn’t handle asbestos directly were exposed, since mills often used asbestos gaskets, insulation, valves and packing materials. Nearly everyone in the mill could potentially breathe in the dangerous fibers. 

While U.S. companies stopped making asbestos textiles in the late 1980s, a long latency period means people who worked in the mills in the past could be at risk of developing mesothelioma today. Additionally, other countries still make asbestos products that could be imported into the U.S.

Asbestos Products Associated with Textile Mills

Textile mill workers were particularly at risk of breathing in fibers while making fire-resistant asbestos products. Fireproof clothing and protective gear used more asbestos to produce.

Asbestos Products Linked to Textile Mills

• Asbestos cement panels
• Asbestos floor tiles
• Asbestos gaskets
• Asbestos pipes
• Asbestos valves
• Fire curtains
• Fireproof clothing
• Machinery insulation
• Oven mitts
• Packing material
• Potholders
• Roofing felts
• Welding blankets

The equipment used to make fabric, such as boilers and dryers, often contained asbestos parts and insulation. Workers who repaired or maintained this machinery were also at risk of asbestos exposure and developing mesothelioma. Over time, consistent handling and friction caused asbestos fibers to break loose and fill the air, increasing the danger for everyone in the mill.

These buildings that housed the mills were often made with asbestos materials as well. As these materials wore down or broke, they released asbestos into the air, putting everyone who worked within the facility at risk.

Manufacturers of Products Textile Mill Workers Used

Many companies made asbestos products that textile mill workers used every day. These products helped run machines, insulate buildings and protect equipment, but they also put many workers at risk. 

Companies Linked to Asbestos Products Mill Workers Used

• Garlock Sealing Technologies: Manufactured asbestos sheet gaskets, seals and packing material.
• H.K. Porter: Made and sold asbestos brakes, gaskets, steam valves and pipes.
• Johns Manville: Manufactured a variety of products textile mills used like insulating boards, cement panels and floor tiles.
• Laclede Christy: Made asbestos permaboard, block insulation, wire insulation and heating ducts.
• Raymark Industries: Formerly Raybestos, made asbestos brakes, clutches, packing material and valves used on textile mill machinery. Spinoff Raytech absorbed its asbestos liabilities.
• Thermoid Corp.: Manufactured asbestos packing material and asbestos brakes.
• Uniroyal: Made asbestos lagging cloth for wrap insulation around pipes and equipment.

Many companies that made asbestos products for textile mills faced mesothelioma lawsuits. Courts held these companies responsible for the harm their products caused. Some created spinoff companies to handle the growing number of asbestos claims. Others, including Johns Manville and H.K. Porter, filed for bankruptcy and set up asbestos trust funds for mesothelioma survivors and their families.

Textile Mill Workers and Mesothelioma

Studies show textile mill workers develop asbestos-related diseases like mesothelioma, lung cancer, ovarian cancer and asbestosis more often than people in other jobs. A 2022 European Commission report said more than 70,000 workers died in 2019 from past asbestos exposure.

A recent case study shared the story of a 57-year-old woman who developed ovarian cancer after working with asbestos in a textile mill for several years. She also lived near the mill for 20 years. She didn’t have a family history of ovarian cancer and her doctors believed occupational and environmental asbestos exposure caused her cancer.

When you breathe in asbestos fibers, some may stay stuck in tissues in your body. These fibers cause irritation, inflammation and scarring that can lead to serious diseases. If you worked in a textile mill, tell your doctor about your exposure history and discuss screenings for asbestos-related diseases. 

Compensation for Textile Mill Workers

Textile mill workers have won lawsuits against asbestos product manufacturers and owners of textile mills. Workers diagnosed with mesothelioma may be eligible to file personal injury lawsuits and claim money from trust funds. People who lost a family member to mesothelioma may be able to file wrongful death lawsuits.

Recent Asbestos Claims Involving Textile Mill Workers 

• Cherokee Textile Mill claims: Former workers at this mill in Knoxville, Tennessee, who developed mesothelioma received settlements between $402,199 and $1.6 million. Today people file claims through the Babcock & Wilcox Company Trust Fund.
• Stillwater Worsted Mill lawsuit: John Peckham worked at the textile mill in East Woodstock, Connecticut in the 1960s. He was tasked with scraping and removing DAP 33 window glazing that contained chrysotile asbestos and asbestos-contaminated talc. In 2023, a jury awarded his widow a record-breaking trial verdict of $20 million.

Textile mill asbestos lawsuits can be complicated, so it’s important to work with a lawyer who has experience with mesothelioma cases. If you worked around asbestos products in a textile mill, you may be able to file claims against the companies that made the products or the mill where you worked.

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