Asbestos and Paper Mill Workers

Paper mill workers, specifically those who worked in the mills before the 1980s, are at a heightened risk of developing mesotelioma maligno and other enfermedades relacionadas con el amianto. Most paper mills across the nation once used an abundance of amianto-containing materials in machinery, products, and equipment.

Si a usted o a un ser querido le diagnosticaron mesotelioma, asbestosis, o cáncer de pulmón relacionado con el amianto, you might be entitled to substantial compensación. Fill out our form to get a free Financial Compensación Packet. You’ll learn about the experienced mesotelioma lawyers in your area, how to get paid in 90 days, how to file a claim for the amianto trust funds, and more.

Did Paper Mills Use Asbestos?

Paper mills used amianto in the past, which put workers at risk of exposure. Mills used amianto in some of the equipment used to manufacture paper. They also contained amianto in building materials in the factories where people worked.

While paper mills today no longer use amianto, exposure in the past can still lead to amianto illness diagnoses today. Older mills might also still contain amianto in insulation and other building materials.

How Did Paper Mills Use Asbestos?

The process of making paper products involves preparing, pulping, and refining raw materials. The process includes chemicals like bleach and talc, special coatings, high temperatures, and a drying period. Two main sources of amianto were used to make paper this way.

Paper Mill Materials and Equipment

Industrial paper-making used amianto in some of the materials that went into products and in the equipment workers used. Machinery used to make paper contained amianto in gaskets and friction parts to reduce the risk of overheating and fire.

Paper-making required the use of boilers and high temperatures. The equipment associated with boilers, including pipes, were often lagged, or insulated, with amianto.

Some of the materials specific to the paper industry also contained amianto. For example, dryer felts were often made with amianto. Dryer felts acted like conveyor belts for large sheets of paper as they dried. fibras de amianto in dryer felts could easily come loose when handled or cleaned.

The paper industry also used talc in many of its processes. Talc is a natural mineral that is often contaminated with amianto. It is light and contributes to dust in the air, which could also contribute to amianto exposure.

Some types of paper were actually manufactured with amianto in them. Factories that made amianto papers put workers at serious risk of exposure.

Building Materials with Asbestos

The other source of amianto in paper mills was the buildings themselves. Most industrial buildings were once built with amianto materials in many components. Insulation, floor and ceiling tiles, roofing materials, and other construction products contained amianto.

Maintenance workers in these buildings faced major risks of exposure by handling and disturbing amianto materials. Even workers who never handled amianto building components faced exposure risks when these materials released fibras de amianto.

Who Was at Risk of Asbestos Exposure in Paper Mills?

Paper mill workers were commonly exposed to amianto via paper mill insulation, amianto-containing materials in the machinery and equipment, and construction materials used to build the paper mills.

Maintenance workers ran the highest risk of amianto exposición as they worked around deteriorating amianto-containing products and materials while doing repairs.

However, regardless of job function, all paper mill workers are at risk of developing an amianto illness, including mesotelioma maligno, amianto-related lung cancer, and asbestosis.

Companies That Exposed Paper Mill Workers to Asbestos

Paper manufacturing companies were sources of amianto exposure for many workers, but the suppliers of amianto materials to the mills are the companies often held liable. Some of the major suppliers of amianto materials to paper mills included:

• AstenJohnson, Inc.
• Johns Manville
• Kaiser Aluminum
• Kimberly-Clark
• Scapa Waycross, Inc.
• WR Grace

Some of the many paper companies that used amianto in their buildings and equipment include:

• Allied Paper Corporation
• Boise Cascade Corporation
• Croswell-Parsons
• Crown Zellerbach Corporation
• Dixie Pulp Paper Inc.
• Georgia-Pacific
• Hammermill Paper Company
• International Paper Company
• Louisiana-Pacific Corporation
• Med Corporation
• Solo Cup Company
• Union Bag and Paper Company
• Wausau Paper Corporation
• Weyerhaeuser

The Dangers of Asbestos in Paper Mills

Over the years, many studies on amianto exposure and paper mill workers have been conducted. The results have shown that workers are susceptible to developing fatal illnesses due to the high amount of amianto used at paper mills.

• In 2005, the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) published a study performed on the paper mill industry in Pistoia, Italy. The research was performed on a small paper mill factory that used asbestos cement as insulating panels. The three different types of asbestos used in the insulating panels included crocidolite, amosite, and chrysotile. The researchers found asbestos in the drying machines and the paper mill’s dust.

• A 1996 study published in the American Journal of Industrial Medicine (AJIM) reports that paper mill workers are at a heightened risk of developing lung cancer and malignant mesothelioma, especially maintenance workers. The study also noted that paper mill workers are in danger of developing malignant lymphoma and leukemia.

• In 2013, Swedish researchers found that former paper mill workers had an increased risk of developing mesotelioma pleural compared to the general population. Nearly three-quarters of the workers had been definitively exposed to asbestos, and most were maintenance workers.

Paper Mill and Asbestos Lawsuits

Paper manufacturers and suppliers of amianto materials to paper mills have been held liable for former workers’ illnesses and resulting damages in numerous lawsuits. These are just some examples of amianto paper mill lawsuits:

• Kevan Holdsworth worked at a Crown Zellerbach paper mill in Camas, Washington, from 1964 to 2001. Scapa Waycross supplied the mill with asbestos-containing dryer felts. Holdsworth worked on the crew that cleaned the dryer felts, which exposed him to asbestos fibers. He died from mesothelioma in 2019. His family was awarded $16.67 million in a verdict against Scapa Waycross.

• Henry Barabin also worked at a Crown mill in Washington. He developed mesothelioma in 2006 and sued Scapa Waycross and AstenJohnson. He won a $10.2 million verdict against the companies in 2009 due to his exposure to asbestos in their dryer felts.

• Former paper mill workers still have opportunities to file lawsuits for damages. Workers from the Waldorf paper mill in St. Paul, Minnesota, are currently being encouraged to file if they develop asbestos illnesses. Workers at the facility in the past are now at risk of getting sick. It stopped making paper products in 2022.

What to Do if You Were Exposed to Asbestos in a Paper Mill

If you worked in a paper mill in the past, consider talking to an abogado de asbesto who can help you seek compensación for amianto exposure and illness. Workers are still being diagnosed today, even if they worked in mills decades ago.

Even if you are unsure whether you encountered amianto, un abogado especializado en mesotelioma can help you answer that question. They can provide you with legal options for seeking damages and the best chance of recovering compensación.

Additional Help and Information for Paper Mill Workers

Remember that you may qualify for significant compensación if you or a loved one have been diagnosed with mesotelioma, asbestosis, or amianto-related cancer. Don’t forget to fill out our form to get our free Financial Compensación Packet, filled with information on the experienced amianto y mesotelioma attorneys in your area.