Cominco / Ace-Tite Cement

Product Description

Cominco / Ace-Tite Cement was a spray-applied fireproofing product manufactured by U.S. Mineral Products Company and marketed under the Cominco and Ace-Tite trade names. The product was used in industrial and commercial construction settings from the pre-1958 era through approximately 1971, a period during which spray-applied fireproofing materials were in widespread demand as building codes increasingly required passive fire protection for structural steel.

During this era, spray fireproofing was a practical and cost-effective solution for protecting steel beams, columns, decking, and other structural elements from heat-induced failure. U.S. Mineral Products Company was among the producers that supplied the construction industry with these formulations, and its Cominco and Ace-Tite branded cements were applied on industrial job sites across the United States. The product competed in a market segment that relied heavily on mineral fiber binders to achieve fire resistance ratings, and like many spray fireproofing materials of the period, it contained asbestos as a primary ingredient.

The use of Ace-Tite and Cominco cements was not limited to new construction. Industrial facilities undergoing renovation or expansion also employed these materials, meaning that workers on multiple generations of job sites could have encountered the product — either during original installation or during later disturbance of previously applied coatings.

Asbestos Content

Spray-applied fireproofing products manufactured during the pre-1958 through 1971 timeframe routinely incorporated asbestos fibers as a core functional component. Asbestos was valued in these formulations for its heat resistance, its ability to adhere to structural substrates when mixed with binding agents, and its capacity to create a cohesive, insulating mat when applied under pressure. The Cominco / Ace-Tite Cement product line was produced during a period when asbestos-containing spray fireproofing was the industry standard, and litigation records document that the material contained asbestos.

Chrysotile (white asbestos) was the most commonly used fiber type in spray fireproofing formulations of this era, though amosite and other amphibole varieties were also used by various manufacturers during overlapping periods. The specific fiber composition of any given batch of Cominco / Ace-Tite Cement may have varied across production runs and years, but the presence of asbestos as a constituent material is reflected in litigation records associated with the product.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act (AHERA) framework and subsequent regulatory guidance have consistently identified spray-applied fireproofing from this era as a category of building material with high potential for asbestos content and significant friability risk. Friable materials — those that can be crumbled, pulverized, or reduced to powder by hand pressure — release airborne fibers readily when disturbed, creating inhalation hazards for anyone working in proximity.

How Workers Were Exposed

Industrial workers represent the primary exposure population documented in connection with Cominco / Ace-Tite Cement. Exposure could occur through several distinct pathways, each corresponding to a different phase of the product’s presence in a facility.

Application crews working during original installation bore the most direct and concentrated exposure. Spray-applied fireproofing is mixed with water and propelled through a nozzle under pressure, generating significant quantities of airborne overspray and fine particulate. Workers operating spray equipment, managing hoses, and finishing applied surfaces worked in close proximity to this aerosol. Respiratory protection requirements for asbestos were not codified by OSHA until 1971, and prior to that period, many workers applied these products with little or no protective equipment.

Ironworkers, pipefitters, electricians, and other trades working in the vicinity of spray fireproofing operations — even if not directly involved in application — were exposed through ambient contamination of the work area. On large industrial job sites, multiple trades often worked concurrently, and overspray could drift considerable distances from the point of application.

Maintenance and renovation workers in industrial facilities represented a secondary exposure population. Once applied, spray fireproofing remains subject to mechanical disturbance during routine maintenance, equipment installation or removal, pipe work, and facility modification. Workers who cut, drilled, abraded, or otherwise disturbed previously applied Ace-Tite or Cominco fireproofing could release fibers that had been bound within the dried matrix. Plaintiffs in litigation associated with this product have alleged exposure through exactly this type of maintenance activity in industrial settings.

Demolition workers involved in facility teardown or partial demolition faced exposure risks from large-scale disturbance of applied fireproofing across entire structures, often without adequate controls.

The diseases associated with occupational asbestos exposure — including mesothelioma, asbestosis, lung cancer, and other asbestos-related conditions — typically have latency periods of 20 to 50 years between initial exposure and clinical presentation. This means that workers exposed to Cominco / Ace-Tite Cement during its production period from the pre-1958 era through 1971 may be presenting with diagnoses today.