Product Description
Plaintiffs alleged in publicly filed U.S. asbestos personal-injury and wrongful-death litigation that Baldwin-Ehret-Hill (BEH) manufactured Thermalux, a sprayed cementitious fireproofing product allegedly formulated with chrysotile asbestos fiber for use on structural steel columns and metal floor decking in commercial construction. According to publicly filed asbestos litigation records, Thermalux was allegedly applied by hopper-fed spray gun to achieve fire-resistance ratings required by building codes for commercial and institutional high-rise construction.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency banned spray-applied asbestos fireproofing in 1973 under 40 CFR Part 61. Plaintiffs alleged that Thermalux with asbestos content was manufactured and sold through the 1973 EPA cutoff, with sprayed material remaining in place inside buildings constructed during that period.
Workers Exposed
Plaintiffs alleged in publicly filed U.S. asbestos personal-injury and wrongful-death litigation that the following trades were exposed to Thermalux sprayed fireproofing:
- Sprayed fireproofing applicators and hopper-fillers — mixing dry asbestos-containing Thermalux at the hopper and inhaling overspray during application
- Ironworkers — working structural steel during Thermalux application, and cutting or drilling through cured fireproofing
- Drywall finishers and carpenters — installing ceilings and partitions beneath sprayed decks
- Insulators — patching and rework of Thermalux around penetrations and hangers
- HVAC technicians and building maintenance workers — working above ceiling tiles in plenums containing sprayed Thermalux
- Electricians — running conduit through ceiling voids containing sprayed asbestos fireproofing
- Demolition workers — encountering friable Thermalux during high-rise renovation and tear-down
- Post-1973 abatement contractors and workers — removing legacy Thermalux from occupied buildings