Pump Mechanic

Working in and around boiler rooms and pump houses in industrial work sites can pose a serious health risk. Prior to the 1970s, pump mechanics were required to perform various tasks which placed them risk of exposure to asbestos. As skilled laborers, pump mechanics preformed routine maintenance on various brands of water, chemical and steam pumps. Depending on the type of pump, a single repair might take an entire work week to complete. Facilities such as Tonawanda, New York’s, Ashland Oil, contained thousands of pumps that required bearing and packing replacement on a regular, if not, daily basis. Pump mechanics who repaired pumps throughout the 1950s, 60s and 70s may have been exposed to harmful asbestos fibers at each and every stage of the repair and maintenance process.

During typical pump maintenance, a pump mechanic may have been exposed to asbestos in the following manners:

• Stripping asbestos-containing insulation from the exterior of a pump with chisels and grinders.
• Scraping asbestos-containing gaskets from pipe flanges with putty knifes and wire brushes.
• Removing and applying asbestos-containing packing from the inside of a pump.
• Working in close proximity to asbestos insulation installers.

By conducting the activities above, a tremendous amount of airborne dust was emitted into the breathing area of not only the pump mechanic performing the work, but also other mechanics, facility supervisors, parts runners and employees who worked in the vicinity where pumps were disassembled, repaired or maintained.

Common defendants in an asbestos-related pump mechanic case include:

• AMCHEM PRODUCTS
• BARBCOCK BORSIG POWER, INC. formerly known as DB RILEY, INC., formerly known as RILEY STOKER CORPORATION
• BENJAMIN FOSTER COMPANY, a Division of AMCHEM PRODUCTS, Inc.
• BLAW-KNOX COMPANY
• BLAW-KNOW CORP., a subsidiary of WHITE CONSOLIDATED INDUSTRIES, INC.
• DEAN PUMP DIVISION
• FRONTIER INSULATION CONTRACTORS, INC., f/k/a FRONTIER INSULATION AND ASBESTOS, INC.
• GARLOCK INC.
• GOULDS PUMPS, INCORPORATION, f/k/a GOULDS PUMPS MERGER CORPORATION
• INGERSOLL-RAND COMPANY.
• INGERSOLL-RAND, as successor to BLAW-KNOX COMPANY
• INSULATION DISTRIBUTORS, INC.
• MET-PRO CORPORATION DEAN PUMP DIVISION
• NIAGARA INSULATIONS, INC., f/k/a NIAGARA ASBESTOS CO., INC
• OWENS-ILLINOIS, INC.
• QUIGLEY COMPANY, INC., a subsidiary of PFIZER, INC.
•  THE CRANE CO.
• WORTHINGTON CORPORATION
• ZURN INDUSTRIES, INC., individually and as successor in interest to ERIE CITY IRON WORKERS CORPORATION

The attorneys at Lipsitz, Ponterio & Comerford, LLC have gathered a vast amount of information regarding the type and variety of asbestos-containing products to which our clients were exposed.   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 were once employed as a pump mechanic and have been diagnosed with mesothelioma or an asbestos-related disease, we urge you to contact us regarding your legal rights.

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