P & H Mining Equipment Inc. (now Komatsu Mining Corporation) has been manufacturing mining equipment since 1884 and is now a subsidiary of Komatsu Limited. For many years, P & H manufactured mining equipment with asbestos that harmed workers. After facing lawsuits over exposure and mesothelioma, the company filed for bankruptcy.
P & H Mining History and Asbestos
In 1884, Alonzo Pawling and Henry Harnischfeger founded Harnischfeger Industries. Located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the company manufactured machinery components and industrial castings.[1]
- The company made its first digging machines in 1914. One of these innovative digging machines, the Model 206, was introduced in 1920 and was the company’s first successful earth-moving machine. The Model 206 launched the company into the mining and construction industries.
- The company changed its name to P & H Mining Equipment and moved into manufacturing shovels for different types of mining, including copper, coal, and iron ore.
- Helping develop mines during World War I firmly placed P & H in the mining industry. A few years later, the company introduced its electric mining shovel, the Model 1800.[1]
- In the following decades, P & H made strategic acquisitions to expand its product lineup and become a large international company.
- These acquisitions included Page Engineering, a company that made draglines, Gardner-Denver, which made blast hole drills and large drilling rigs, and LeTourneau Technologies, which made large wheel loaders.[1]
- For many years, the heavy equipment used in mining included asbestos to manage the heat associated with friction. P & H, like other similar companies, used asbestos in equipment components.
- In 2000, P & H filed for bankruptcy due to expensive lawsuits over its asbestos use. The company emerged reorganized in 2006. Soon after reorganization, the company was acquired by Joy Global and then by Komatsu in 2017.
Today, P & H is a brand of Komatsu mining equipment. The P & H brand focuses on surface mining and produces trucks, rope shovels, blast hole drills, wheel loaders, walking draglines, hydraulic excavators, and more.[2]
How Did P & H Mining Use Asbestos?
Mining is an inherently dangerous industry, often leaving workers injured or even killed. P & H used asbestos in equipment brake linings for many years.
Brakes are important on this equipment because they must be able to stop reliably to ensure the safety of all miners. Asbestos played an important role in preventing brakes from overheating and failing.
Asbestos is a mineral that has a high resistance to heat. It was once commonly used in brake linings for cars, trucks, and other equipment, including cranes, electric shovels, and drills.
Workers at Risk of Asbestos Exposure From P & H Mining
While operating heavy equipment is inherently dangerous, microscopic asbestos fibers caused industrial workers to get sick and die from mesothelioma, lung cancer, or asbestosis.
The tiny fibers of asbestos can easily become airborne when they break apart. When these fibers float in the air, they can be inhaled by anyone in the area. Once fibers are inhaled, instead of passing through the body, they stick like tiny needles in tissue. Over time, damage caused by these needle-like fibers can lead to serious illnesses.
P & H used asbestos in brake linings, and workers were put at risk as a result. Those employees who manufactured these products risked exposure.
When making brake linings, the material was often ground down to fit various parts and machines. This created asbestos dust, seriously harming some workers.
In addition to workers who manufactured the brake linings, any workers who operated or repaired the equipment also risked exposure.
This included mechanics and maintenance workers who had to change the brakes or repair them. When this happened, those workers could have inhaled asbestos fibers that collected in the brakes over time.
Asbestos Lawsuits and Bankruptcy
Not everyone exposed to asbestos gets sick. Those who do become sick face devastating symptoms and decreased life expectancy. P & H employees and other workers who used their products began filing lawsuits in the 1970s.
These workers sought compensation and justice because they did not receive adequate warnings of all the risks associated with their jobs. In many cases, these workers did not get appropriate training or safety gear.
P & H won several of these lawsuits. In 2015, a court decided in favor of multiple defendants in an asbestos suit. The case filed by a crane operator who worked for Bethlehem Steel included P & H.
This worker blamed fifty-eight different companies for the asbestos exposure that caused his lung cancer. The court ruled that the man did not provide sufficient evidence that his cancer was caused by the asbestos from P & H equipment.[3]
However, P & H did not win all of its cases. The company paid significant damages and filed for bankruptcy in 2000.
In 2006, P & H emerged from bankruptcy and continued to operate as a large equipment manufacturer. The company was purchased by Joy Global and then Komatsu. Despite significant financial setbacks, the company continues to operate as part of Komatsu.
If You Were Exposed to P & H Asbestos Mining Equipment
If you have an asbestos illness you can trace to equipment and brakes from P & H Mining, you may have the grounds for a successful claim or lawsuit. Rely on a mesothelioma or asbestos lawyer to help you make your case. They can guide you on the path to the justice and compensation you deserve.
Mesothelioma lawyers offer free consultations, so don’t hesitate to reach out. Asbestos lawsuits have a statute of limitations, so you risk losing your opportunity to seek justice by delaying. A lawyer can determine if P & H or other companies are liable for your exposure and help you seek compensation through appropriate legal actions.
