Metal Mesh Blankets
Many of the products and equipment that once contained asbestos are items that most members of the general public may not recognize. However, people in the building industry and other trades often used these items on a daily basis and were readily exposed to asbestos when the products became worn or damaged.
Mention the words “metal mesh blanket” and most people could only hazard a guess as to what this product is and for what purposes it is used. Metal mesh blankets are manufactured by enclosing felted mineral wool between various combinations of metal facings. That mineral wool once contained asbestos. Applications include use on high temperature expansion joints, coke drums, vessels, and power and process equipment. Metal mesh blankets are also used where resistance to thermal shock and vibration is required.
Welders and other tradesmen often make use of metal mesh blankets on the job. Though these blankets are now safe and contain no asbestos, those manufactured prior to about 1980 often did contain the toxic mineral. That means anyone who came in contact with the blankets may have also come in contact with asbestos fibers, especially when the blankets were welded or cut. Today, anyone who encounters old metal mesh blankets while on the job may also encounter asbestos, nearly 30 years after the production of asbestos-containing blankets ceased.
Asbestos diseases such as mesothelioma can take up to 50 years to develop, with symptoms appearing literally decades after exposure. That’s why so many cases of the dreaded disease are being diagnosed in the 21st century. Workers who used metal mesh blankets in the 1960s or 1970s, when asbestos use was rampant, may just be discovering they have asbestosis or mesothelioma. Unfortunately, by the time mesothelioma is diagnosed, it has usually reached its later stages and is very difficult to treat and impossible to cure.
Investigations have shown that many asbestos product manufacturers knew about the hazards of the toxic mineral yet continued to produce items that contained asbestos. Some of these executives and company owners are now being prosecuted in a court of law for their role in the cover-up of the dangers of asbestos. Had they been honest about the information they so long withheld, many of their employees could have been spared a life scarred by asbestos exposure. Instead, many individuals have already paid with their lives. Some even brought the toxic dust into their homes on their clothes and hair, exposing their families as well. In more and more cases, family members have become victims of second-hand asbestos exposure and have been sickened or died from inhaling the hazardous fibers.
If you or a loved one worked with metal mesh blankets and have been diagnosed with mesothelioma, you or they may be eligible for compensation, especially if information about asbestos hazards were unknowingly withheld. For more details on the disease and your legal rights, order our free mesothelioma resource packet today.
Last modified: December 28, 2010.
