Product Description

General Electric’s Magne-Blast family (AM-4.16, AM-13.8, AMH-4.16, and related metal-clad switchgear breakers) was the dominant medium-voltage air-magnetic breaker in North American utilities and heavy industry from the late 1940s through the mid-1980s. According to publicly filed asbestos litigation records, the arc chute stack allegedly incorporated woven chrysotile fabric wraps around the runner rails and molded asbestos-phenolic liner plates on the interior arcing surfaces to withstand the magnetic-blowout arc.

Racking, testing, and rebuilding these breakers allegedly disturbed friable asbestos fabric and eroded liner-plate residue inside the cubicle.

Workers Exposed

  • Industrial electricians (IBEW) performing routine Magne-Blast maintenance in generating stations and heavy plants
  • Substation electricians replacing arc-chute assemblies on utility metal-clad lineups
  • Plant electricians cleaning post-fault cubicles at steel mills, paper mills, and chemical plants
  • Arc-flash repair technicians rebuilding damaged Magne-Blast breakers after through-faults