Cumberland Charcoal/Kingsford Exposed Workers to Asbestos
The Cumberland Charcoal Corporation in Burnside got its start in the 1950s, a prime time for asbestos use in industrial facilities relying on high heat to make their products. Deadly asbestos fibers floated through the facility, where they were inhaled or swallowed, later causing cancers among employees, contractors, and their family members.
Satterley & Kelley, PLLC lawyers represent people diagnosed with mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases who seek compensation for the harm they suffer. If this is your situation, contact us at 855-385-9532 to learn more about how we can help you obtain compensation for your injury.
What is Asbestos?
Asbestos is a group of mineral fibers that are resistant to fire, heat, electricity, and corrosion. Asbestos has been used in about 3,000 products, including pipe insulation, building materials, floor tiles, cigarette filters, vehicle brakes, and clutches. These fibers are strong, durable, light, and microscopic.
Why is Asbestos Dangerous?
Asbestos was used in thousands of products for centuries because its fibers are tiny, light, strong, and durable. These qualities also make them hazardous to humans. They won’t immediately cause a deadly reaction in people who inhale or swallow them, so they’re probably unaware of the danger they’re in. It may take years or decades for the damage caused by asbestos to become known.
Fibers become stuck in human tissue. The immune system tries to get rid of them, but the fibers destroy the cells meant to dissolve them instead. This leads to scar tissue, inflammation, and, over time, genetic mutations that cause cancer.
Asbestos causes or increases the risk of several cancers, including lung cancer and mesothelioma. Mesothelioma is an aggressive and deadly cancer that can affect several parts of the body. It can involve the linings covering organs (including the heart and lungs) and the chest and abdominal cavities.
What was the Cumberland Charcoal Corporation?
The Cumberland Charcoal Corporation was formed in 1955. Construction of its Burnside, Kentucky, plant began in 1956. It began producing charcoal the following year.
It was bought by the Kingsford Company four years later and operated as the Kingsford Manufacturing Company. The Clorox Company bought Kingsford in 1973, and the plant continued to operate under the Kingsford name. As of 2019, the facility occupied 300,000 square feet and employed 120 full-time employees.
Why did Charcoal Manufacturers use Asbestos?
Charcoal is made by pyrolyzing organic substances, primarily wood, under low-oxygen conditions, according to PNP Global Supply. Pyrolysis is the chemical decomposition of organic material by applying heat in the absence or near absence of oxygen. The modern industrial method of making charcoal requires the use of pyrolysis carbonization furnaces.
The charcoal-making process involves equipment operating at several hundred degrees, making it a typical industrial setting for asbestos use from the 1950s through the 1980s. Asbestos is extraordinarily heat and fire-resistant, flexible enough to be woven or formed into almost any shape, chemically stable, and very inexpensive at the time the charcoal plant was constructed and during its early operation.
The plant was constructed using numerous asbestos-containing products, including insulation for equipment and steam pipes. Sprayed-on asbestos-containing structural fireproofing was common at the time. Steam pipes, valves, flanges, and fittings were sealed with asbestos-containing rope gaskets and packing.
Which Workers Would Be Exposed to Asbestos Fibers?
The greatest danger from asbestos comes when materials are applied, torn, cut, drilled into, or removed, because that’s when fibers are most likely to be released and carried into the air, where they can be inhaled or swallowed. Fibers can also come loose if the equipment the products are attached to vibrates, or due to age and deterioration.
The more often and more closely someone worked with asbestos-containing products, the greater the threat they posed. This includes employees and contractors who worked for Cumberland Charcoal/Kingsford.
Their work released clouds of microscopic fibers into the air. These workers performed these tasks without adequate protective equipment or warnings about the dangers they faced. Those in the area who are not directly working with asbestos could also be exposed as asbestos fibers drifted through the workplace.
Workers’ family members were also at risk. Those working with asbestos would return home in clothes covered in microscopic fibers that could drift through the household, where they could be inhaled or swallowed.
Why Should I Contact Satterley & Kelley, PLLC?
If you or a family member is diagnosed with an asbestos-related cancer, you may be entitled to compensation for what you’ve endured. Depending on the circumstances, compensation may be received for the following:
- Pain and suffering
- Lost income and illness-related costs and expenses
- Past and future medical treatment
- The negative effects on relationships
If you have an asbestos-related condition due to asbestos exposure while you or a family member worked for Cumberland Charcoal/Kingsford, improve your chances of a successful claim by retaining a lawyer with the following:
- Knowledge of Kentucky and federal asbestos and railroad worker laws, deadlines, court procedures, and jury dynamics
- Access to historical industrial and asbestos litigation records
- Experience in mesothelioma litigation
- Relationships with experts who can show asbestos caused your illness, where it came from, and the harm you suffer due to your illness
- The ability to tailor strategies for your unique situation
Given the complexity and stakes of your case, you should discuss how we can help with a Satterley & Kelley, PLLC lawyer.
Call Us Today for A Free Consultation
If you or a family member in Kentucky suffers from an asbestos-related condition, Satterley & Kelley PLLC is the law firm you can trust. Call our Louisville office at 855-385-9532, locally 502-589-5600, or complete our online contact form to schedule a free consultation.