Albany Medical Center is a 734 bed hospital located on New Scotland Avenue in Albany, New York. It is the largest hospital in the Capital District, and it is also one of the largest employers in the region, with a staff of nearly 7,000 employees. The Albany Medical Center campus includes the Albany Medical College and the Albany Medical Center Hospital. The Albany Medical College is affiliated with Union College in nearby Schenectady, New York. Albany Medical Center has been located at the New Scotland Avenue site since 1926, and it has undergone numerous expansions and renovations.

Up until the late 1970s, workers utilized dozens of asbestos-containing materials during construction and maintenance procedures at Albany Medical Center. Fireproof insulation, pipe covering, insulating cement and block insulation covered pipes, boilers and associated equipment throughout the hospital. Workers who handled materials that contained asbestos or worked in the vicinity of others who did are at high risk for developing an asbestos-related disease, such as mesothelioma or lung cancer.

Fireproof insulation was applied to the structural steel at Albany Medical Center in order to protect the steel from fire damage. Fireproofing was manufactured as a dry mix, which was typically packaged in one hundred pound bags. Raw fireproofing material was dumped into a machine, mixed with water and sprayed onto steel surfaces with a hose. During the mixing and application processes, an enormous amount of asbestos-containing dust and fibers were emitted into the work area. Additionally, tradesmen, such as pipefitters, electricians, ironworkers and carpenters routinely disturbed the fireproofing after it was installed in order to install pipes, conduits, ventilation ducts and other building materials.

Steam and water pipes at Albany Medical were covered with asbestos-containing pipe covering and insulating cement in order to maintain a constant temperature within the plumbing systems. Block insulation was applied to steam boilers, which allowed the boilers to operate more efficiently. During maintenance procedures, asbestos-containing materials were removed in order to make repairs within the heating system. When maintenance procedures were complete, workers applied new asbestos insulation. Removing and applying asbestos-containing insulating materials caused asbestos fibers and dust to become airborne.

Many union and non-union laborers who worked on construction projects for Albany Medical were employed by various contractors throughout the Capital District. If you or a loved one were once employed in connection with the construction of Albany Medical Center and have been diagnosed with mesothelioma or lung cancer, we urge you to contact us regarding your legal rights.