Electrical Components, Phenolic Resin - Untion Carbide, Micarta, Bakelite, Westinghous

Certain electrical components contain asbestos. Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral that was added to many construction materials until the early 1980’s because it is very heat and fire resistant as well as insulating.  The use of asbestos then became highly regulated after the 1980s due to its toxicity.  Exposure to asbestos can cause serious and fatal illnesses, such as mesothelioma, asbestosis and lung cancer.  If you are an electrician or work in any way with electrical components, take precautions not to be exposed.

Asbestos is typically present on high voltage (440-800v) applications though it is not unheard of that asbestos was present in lower voltage applications as well..  Phenolic resin is used to insulate electrical components. The asbestos is contained within the phenolic resin. The devices containing asbestos include (but are not limited to) switch gear, which you could find on almost all ships, industrial plants, steel mills and cement plants. They are used on ventilation systems, pumps, cranes, boiler rooms, electrial rooms and arc furnaces.

The switch gear itself contains arc chutes, shields and phase barriers that also contain asbestos. These were used to prevent arcing between hot-neutral-ground phases. These components would often have carbon build up that workers would clean off by sanding and scraping.  Such activities puts one at a higher risk of exposure since asbestos is more likely to become airborne and be more easily inhaled or ingested.   Any disturbance of asbestos containing materials increases the risk of exposure and decades later developing mesothelioma.

Phenolic resin trademarks include “Bakelite” (Union Carbide) and “Micarta”(Westinghouse). It is often the case that those in the trade will use these terms generically such as Kleenex is used for tissue paper. It can also be found in bus-blocks, terminal strips, and mounting boards for electrical components.

Exposure may also occur when cutting the bakelite or micarta to fit specific applications, drilling holes to install panels, breaker boxes or switch gear, and blowing these out during cleaning either before work is undertaken or after it is completed. Old phenolic resin can break apart or crumble as well.

If you are an electrician or in a trade that works with these parts and have been diagnosed with mesothelioma, please contact us for a free consultation and helpful resources.

If you or someone you know has been exposed to asbestos as a result of handling or being involved with Electrical Components, Phenolic Resin, 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.