In 1940, the B. F. Goodrich Company constructed a chemical factory on 53rd Street in Niagara Falls, New York, in order to produce its proprietary Geon polyvinyl chloride resin. The Niagara Falls plant employed around fifty people, and closed in 1971.
Asbestos was a common industrial insulator for decades because it is strong and resistant to heat, flame, and corrosion, and is now proven to be a dangerous carcinogen, causing various illnesses and cancers, including asbestosis, lung cancer, and mesothelioma.
Asbestos was incorporated into dozens of insulations and building materials utilized at the Niagara Falls B.F. Goodrich facility. Outside asbestos insulation contractors were typically hired to perform maintenance procedures at B.F. Goodrich. Asbestos insulation contractors, as well as B.F. Goodrich employees, were exposed to asbestos-containing materials when asbestos materials were applied and/or removed. Workers who handled asbestos materials, or those who worked in the vicinity of others who did, are at risk for developing mesothelioma, lung cancer and other asbestos-related diseases.
Up until the early 1970s, many former employees worked for up to 40 years at a dangerous workplace without ever knowing they were at certain risk. Tire plant workers, employees of chemical production companies, auto mechanics, shipyards and military installations were all put at risk by B.F. Goodrich and its products. Production plants were often filled with so much asbestos that workers could have been exposed in the cafeteria just as much as on the factory floor. All employees were at risk of asbestos exposure, including routine office workers who never directly handled any asbestos materials and only occasionally walked through manufacturing areas. Minimal asbestos exposure still carries risk of asbestos-related illnesses.
Incredibly, if a worker spent only two weeks in areas with the highest concentration of asbestos, that would be enough to be considered high-risk.
Unfortunately, even with the knowledge that workers were facing serious health hazards, corporations like B.F. Goodrich carried on manufacturing dangerous products, and failed to warn employees of the risks.
Our clients understand the importance of securing legal representation as soon as possible after a diagnosis of mesothelioma or lung cancer. If you or a loved one worked at B.F. Goodrich Chemical Company in Niagara Falls, New York, and have been diagnosed with mesothelioma or lung cancer, we urge you to contact us regarding your legal rights.
Source:
Our Company | Goodyear Chemical
B.F. Goodrich Company, photographer. Synthetic rubber B.F. Goodrich Co. , None. [Between 1940 and 1945] Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/89709106/.
Which is which? This comparative photograph of a sheet of natural rubber right and Ameripol, synthetic rubber made by the B.F. Goodrich Company, shows that the only visual difference between the man-made product and nature’s substance is the lighter color of the Ameripol sheet. , None. [Between 1940 and 1944] Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/2018648197/.
Our clients understand the importance of securing legal representation as soon as possible after a diagnosis of mesothelioma or lung cancer. If you or a loved one worked at B.F. Goodrich Chemical Company in Niagara Falls, New York, and have been diagnosed with mesothelioma or lung cancer, we urge you to contact us regarding your legal rights.
We hope that you will never be diagnosed with mesothelioma, lung cancer, or suffer a catastrophic injury, but if you are, contact us at Lipsitz, Ponterio & Comerford so we can begin the fight.
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