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Asbestos Exposure at Hooker Chemical

Hooker Chemical’s plant in Niagara Falls, New York once manufactured chemicals, including caustic soda and bleaches. Hooker Chemical’s facilities were heavily insulated with asbestos-containing insulation materials which acted as thermal insulators. Workers at Hooker Chemical and outside contractors were hired to apply asbestos-containing insulation to pipes, steam traps, filters and chemical storage tanks throughout the 115 acre plant. During the removal and application of asbestos-containing insulation, tooth saws and hammers were used to strip dry and worn insulation from surfaces. Once worn asbestos insulation was removed, it was then dropped on the plant’s floor, swept up and loaded into garbage trucks. The process of removing and sweeping asbestos on a regular basis contaminated the air at Hooker Chemical with asbestos dust and fibers which were then inhaled by workers in the surrounding areas. As a result of asbestos exposure at Hooker Chemical, many workers developed mesothelioma, a cancer that is only caused by exposure to asbestos.

Raw asbestos was also utilized in the manufacturing process of chlorine. Burlap bags of asbestos were delivered to the plant on a daily basis. The raw asbestos was then used in cell construction to line inner parts of cells used to make chlorine. Workers report that in the process of dumping these bags, their clothing would become covered with asbestos dust and fibers, and once their work was completed they used air hoses to remove the dust.

Plumbing and steam lines at Hooker Chemical contained gaskets composed of asbestos. The gaskets used at Hooker required regular replacement. During the gasket replacement process, it was often necessary to scrape an old gasket from its flange. Power grinders were frequently required to remove worn gaskets. The action of scraping and grinding worn gaskets created asbestos dust which was inhaled by pipe workers.

Our attorneys have gathered a vast amount of information concerning the type and variety of asbestos containing products to which our clients were exposed. If you or a loved one once worked at Hooker Chemical in Niagara Falls, New York and have been diagnosed with an asbestos related disease such as mesothelioma, please contact us for a free case evaluation.