The Bethlehem Steel Lackawanna Plant was covered throughout with asbestos-containing materials. The North Mill, South Mill, Strip Mill, Bar Mill, annealing and blast furnaces, open hearth furnaces, basic oxygen furnaces, the mold yards, heating furnaces, boilers, soaking pits, hot tops, and coke ovens all contained asbestos refractory materials. A refractory material is a non-metallic material that is capable of resisting high temperatures and other destructive forces, such as corrosion and abrasion. Asbestos was an ideal component for refractory materials, as it was utilized as insulation surrounding high heat surfaces. Asbestos pipe covering was also applied as an insulation material, which lined the outside of steam pipes throughout the Lackawanna job site. On June 11, 2019, New York’s highest court affirmed that manufacturers of coke ovens have a duty to warn about the latent dangers of their products.
Asbestos exposure was a factor for many employees at the Bethlehem Steel Lackawanna Plant. Below is a list of those occupational trades and job titles of those who were affected:
| Boilermakers Bricklayers Carpenters Construction Workers Crane Operators Electricians Firefighters Fireproofers Foremen Freight and Material Handlers Iron Workers Insulators Laborers Larry Car Driver Lidman Managers | Maintenance Workers Masons Millwrights Painters Pipe Coverers Pipefitters Pipe Workers Plumbers Pusherman Riggers Shippers Steamfitters Steel Workers Warehouse Workers Washing Operators Welders |
For more information about asbestos exposure at Bethlehem Steel’s locations, visit our web pages highlighting the Bethlehem Steel Plant. If you want to find out more after viewing our website, we are happy to speak with you about the risks workers have been exposed to at that site. If you or a loved one were once employed at Bethlehem Steel Lackawanna, NY, and have been diagnosed with mesothelioma or lung cancer, we urge you to contact us regarding your legal rights.