El asbesto was widely used in the auto industry for its heat-resistant properties, especially in brake linings and clutches. This article discusses the hidden legacy of asbestos in automotive parts, the risks it poses to mechanics and car enthusiasts, and the steps being taken to reduce exposure.
Asbestos in Automotive Components
Asbestos was heavily used in automotive parts due to its durability against heat and friction, especially in brake pads. Before the asbestos ban, almost every brake pad contained this carcinogen, endangering mechanics and automotive workers during installation, testing, and repairs.
Other Automotive Parts Containing Asbestos
In addition to brake pads, asbestos was used in several other car parts, including:
- Clutch facings
- Anillos de válvula
- Juntas
- Heat seals
- Hoodliners
Other typical vehicle maintenance procedures, such as catalytic converter repair/replacement can expose workers to asbestos hazards as well.
The Dangers of Friability in Asbestos-Containing Materials (ACMs)
Asbestos’s resilience made it suitable for automotive parts, but its friability—the tendency to release fibers when disturbed or damaged—poses significant risks. In vehicles, constant heat, friction, and environmental factors break down asbestos-containing materials, releasing harmful fibers. Mechanics and workers face the risk of inhaling or ingesting these fibers, leading to serious illnesses like mesothelioma and lung cancer.
It’s important to note that this is not only a threat for automotive parts contaminated with asbestos; this can happen to asbestos-containing materials in homes and other structures with things like wind damage, flooding, or fire damage.
By comparison, friability is much more common in the automotive industry because of the fact that materiales que contienen asbesto are constantly subjected to fluctuations in temperature under the hood, heavy rain and wind speeds while traveling, and the aggressive action of brake pads breaking down with use. The result of these actions is the agitation and release of tiny asbestos fibers into the air.
For those who are traveling inside vehicles, this entire process is out of sight, out of mind. However, automotive workers or home mechanics get up close and personal with these materials, unknowingly putting themselves at risk of swallowing and inhaling these tiny asbestos fibers and eventually contracting a severe enfermedad relacionada con el asbesto.
How the Industry Responded to Asbestos Risks
Despite knowing the dangers, the automotive industry used asbestos for years, up until the truth eventually came out about the carcinogenic properties of asbestos fibers, at least to the general public. This information had been well known and well documented by the industry for a long time, but the availability of the information as time went on made it impossible to suppress it any longer.
Although the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) eventually banned asbestos in most products across America, replacing asbestos with new materials, this ban did not stop the use of asbestos in brake pad production. This ongoing use of asbestos remained so prevalent that the current OSHA manual for mechanics makes a startling recommendation: “Mechanics should assume that all brakes have asbestos-type shoes”.
The Push for Asbestos-Free Vehicle Parts
The bad news is, there are numerous countries that have not banned the use of asbestos in products. With the availability of international shipping and the desire to save as much money as possible, there are countless examples of vehicle parts being produced and manufactured in other countries, purchased by American car garages or automotive shops, and installed on vehicles. Even worse, many of us who insist upon trying to take care of all minor vehicle work ourselves in efforts to save money are entirely unaware of the health dangers we expose ourselves to in something as simple as buying cost-effective brake pads on Amazon and installing them ourselves.
This means that the effort to remove all varieties of asbestos-containing materials from our vehicles must include an effort to develop new products that are cheap and durable enough for manufacturers to use as an alternative. The good news is, that there are modern efforts to develop brake pads that do not contain asbestos, as well as asbestos-free gasket materials.
Safety Measures for Automotive Workers and DIY Projects
With so many available estudios that demonstrate the danger of asbestos exposure for mechanics and those who work in the automotive industry, it is vital for business owners not to be negligent and for automotive workers to ensure that they are given all the necessary personal protective equipment needed in order to safely work in an environment that may contain asbestos. This includes business owners being aware of this long and prevalent history of asbestos in the automotive industry.
Many people enjoy the process of restoring old vehicles with long-term DIY projects at home. While it is safe to assume that materials manufactured and purchased in the United States after the mid-1980s are not contaminated with asbestos, special care should be taken when purchasing international products. As mentioned, not all countries have the same asbestos regulations as the United States- and even the United States does not regulate the import of ACMs in vehicle parts.
Additionally, those working on vehicles that were built during or before the 1980s should assume that the parts to be disassembled, including gaskets and other parts mentioned already, are most likely ACMs. You could find yourself in direct danger of asbestos exposure.
Legal Claims for Asbestos Exposure in the Automotive Industry
Automotive workers exposed to asbestos face a heightened risk of asbestos-related illnesses, including cáncer de pulmón. Compensation claims are available, even for those exposed secondhand, such as family members of workers who brought asbestos fibers home on clothing.
One of the common misconceptions related to asbestos exposure is the myth that you must have worked directly with asbestos in order to qualify for compensation. This is simply not the case. In fact, many instances of asbestos claims come from those who have been exposed secondhand. This includes children of workers or a spouse of someone who worked in an asbestos environment. The reason for this has to do with a contaminated home.
When someone who worked around asbestos came home, it was common for their work clothes or tools to contain tiny asbestos fibers, which are invisible to the naked eye. Once in the home, ceiling fans, air vents, and washing machines took those fibers and spread them all throughout the house, making them easy for a spouse or children to swallow or ingest into their bodies. There are claim options for these individuals as well, and rightly so.
Asbestos Trusts are Faster Paths to Compensation
Unfortunately, the process of going to court, curating evidence and witness testimonies can carry risks, not to mention the amount of time that this process takes. While some instances of asbestos exposure are worthy of going to court, you should know that the easiest and fastest option, filing an asbestos trust claim, does not carry the need to file a lawsuit or go to court at all.
A variety of asbestos trust funds exist, some of which are related specifically to automotive industry workers, incluida la General Motors, Empresa de juntas flexitallicas, y Durabla Manufacturing.
Risk-Free Compensation Assistance
The experts at AsbestosClaims.law have access to every active asbestos trust fund available. We also are home to the largest asbestos database in the world- the worldwide asbestos research database (W.A.R.D.). We can help you determine which compensation options are right for you, and it is often the case that our clients qualify for multiple asbestos trusts. Best of all, filing an asbestos trust claim is risk-free and we do not get paid until you cash your compensation check.