U.S. Steel
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United States Steel Corporation, also known as U.S. Steel, is one of the largest steel producers in the country. Headquartered in Pittsburgh, U.S. Steel has weathered economic difficulties to come out on top. In the process, it exposed thousands of workers to asbestos. If you worked for U.S. Steel, consider talking to an asbestos lawyer.
A History of U.S. Steel
U.S. Steel dates to 1901 when J.P. Morgan facilitated a merger of steel companies owned by Andrew Carnegie and Elbert H. Gary. The company grew rapidly as construction boomed in the early 1900s. U.S. Steel’s materials formed the foundation of many important structures, including the San Francisco-Bay Bridge, the United Nations Building, and NASA’s Vehicle Assembly building, among many others.[1]
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The Great Depression of the 1930s slowed the steel industry, but the company adapted and modernized. During World War II, U.S. Steel supplied much of the material used to build ships, planes, and other equipment for the war effort.[1]
After the war, the company survived by consolidating and reorganizing facilities. By the 1980s, it had entered the energy market, acquiring Marathon Oil and Texas Oil & Gas. By 2000, U.S. Steel had expanded internationally with the purchase of a steel mill in Slovakia.[1]
Overseas steel production was tough on the American industry, but U.S. Steel has remained active, even purchasing other companies, like National Steel Corporation. While the industry has changed and shrunk, U.S. Steel still operates nearly 20 industrial facilities in the U.S.[1]
Asbestos Use at U.S. Steel
All steel mills contain asbestos to some degree. Use of the mineral was much heavier in past decades, approximately between 1940 and the 1970s, but it still poses risks to workers. Steel mills involve extremely high temperatures, and asbestos is well suited to protect against them.
Asbestos is an excellent insulator and is fire resistant. Steel mills operated by U.S. Steel used the material in building insulation, pipe insulation, refractory bricks, flooring, boilers, blast furnaces, oven, and other equipment.
Who Is at Risk of Asbestos Exposure?
Anyone who worked in a U.S. Steel facility, especially during the decades of heavy asbestos use, could have been exposed. Those workers may now face illness many years later. Asbestos fibers get into internal tissue and cause damage that can lead to asbestosis, lung cancer, and mesothelioma.
Some workers faced greater risks than others. Anyone handling asbestos directly, for instance, those putting in or changing asbestos insulating materials, risked damaging and inhaling the fibers. Maintenance workers of all types faced high risks too, but any worker there could have easily been exposed by fibers in the air.
Past workers faced the biggest risks of dangerous exposure, but current workers can still be exposed. Many facilities still have asbestos in some materials. Companies are much more careful now than in the past and provide better protection. However, mistakes still happen, and the risk is still there.
Asbestos Violations and Lawsuits
A 2016 fine from OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) illustrates the ongoing risk for asbestos exposure for steelworkers. OSHA found that U.S. Steel exposed workers twice in succession, in February and then in March of 2016.[2]
The incidents occurred at the coke production facility in Pittsburgh. Some of the workers had to remove packing material with asbestos. Others were ordered to burn and remove a piece of rotted pipe that contained asbestos. OSHA fined U.S. Steel $170,000 for these violations.[2]
As with a similar incident in 2011, investigators found that U.S. Steel failed in its duty to protect workers from asbestos. The company did not provide a regulated area for asbestos or warn them that the materials they handled contained asbestos. Several other failures cited included inappropriate containment and disposal and a lack of asbestos safety training.[2]
U.S. Steel also faces a number of lawsuits over asbestos. In 2004, it reported around 500 active asbestos lawsuits and thousands of plaintiffs. Most of these involve the companies ships and steel mill employees.[3]
One notable lawsuit ended in a $250 million verdict against U.S. Steel in 2003. Roby Whittington sued the company after developing mesothelioma. He worked at the Gary Works between 1950 and 1981 and handled asbestos materials, including pipe coverings, insulation, and gaskets.[4]
What Can I Do if I Worked at U.S. Steel?
If you worked at U.S. Steel, it’s worthwhile talking to an asbestos lawyer, especially if you have symptoms or a diagnosis of an asbestos illness. There are legal actions available to you that may provide compensation.
Asbestos lawyers are skilled in determining where and how you were exposed. They can find out if U.S. Steel caused your exposure or if the culprit is another manufacturer of materials you used on the job. They may be able to help you make a claim for compensation through an asbestos trust or file a lawsuit.
U.S. Steel is responsible for exposing countless workers to asbestos over the years. These victims have rights. If you suffered because of asbestos at a U.S. Steel workplace, talk to an experienced asbestos lawyer.
Page Edited by Patient Advocate Dave Foster
Dave has been a mesothelioma Patient Advocate for over 10 years. He consistently attends all major national and international mesothelioma meetings. In doing so, he is able to stay on top of the latest treatments, clinical trials, and research results. He also personally meets with mesothelioma patients and their families and connects them with the best medical specialists and legal representatives available.