Televisions - General Electric (GE), Magnavox, Philco, Philco-Ford, Raytheon, RCA, Sylvania, Zenith
Tube televisions manufactured in the 1930s, 1940s, 1950s and 1960s often contained an asbestos cloth or matting and asbestos cable dressing. These asbestos components were used because of the heat resistance qualities of asbestos.
As televisions generated so much heat in and around the power supply, an asbestos cloth shield was used to protect the wooden cabinet from the heat generated by the chassis. Similar panels of asbestos may also be between other heat-generating components. One General Electric service document refers to 1/8 inch thick asbestos board heat barrier inside the high voltage compartment that separates the horizontal output transformer from the driver and damper, tubes.
Vintage tube televisions that may have contained these asbestos cloth and asbestos cable dressing between the wooden cabinet and chassis include those manufactured by:
- General Electric (GE)
- Magnavox
- Philco
- Philco-Ford
- Raytheon
- RCA
- Sylvania
- Zenith
Exposure to asbestos can occur if the asbestos cloth is handled, disturbed or removed. Oftentimes repairmen of these radios used compressed air to clean out the chassis, which can also result in exposure to asbestos.
Chances of developing mesothelioma, a rare cancer caused by exposure to asbestos, increase with repeated exposure and especially when asbestos containing materials are disturbed and become airborne.
Prognosis for mesothelioma is usually less than a year and, to date, there is no cure. Most diagnosis does not occur until decades after exposure due to a long latency period. If you have been in the television manufacture or repair business, some signs to be aware of are chest or abdominal pain, difficulty breathing, coughing, loss of appetite, weight loss, and other symptoms that mimic pneumonia.
If you or someone you know has been exposed to asbestos as a result of handling or being involved with Televisions, and if you think such exposure may have caused you or your loved one to become ill with mesothelioma or any other form of asbestos related disease, please contact the lawyers at Clapper, Patti Schweizer & Mason for more information.