The manufacturers knew. The scientists and doctors knew. Even the government knew. The only people who didn’t know how deadly asbestos was? The workers who worked diligently in thick clouds of asbestos every day.
To extract asbestos from the earth, it needed to be mined, which meant drilling, blasting, crushing, drying, and milling ore to extract the fibers. Once topside, it was processed and refined. The refined asbestos fibers were then used to produce thousands of products across various industries and trades. It was common in everyday products such as drywall, insulation, pipes, electrical wire, paint, brakes, cement, vinyl flooring, packaging, and cosmetics.
Scientists, doctors, manufacturers, and the government were all aware of the deadly side effects of asbestos in the late 1920s, as medical journals had published articles that linked asbestosis to asbestos exposure. There were also reports of a new, fatal lung condition that was hallmarked by scarring of the lungs from the abrasive asbestos fibers, making breathing difficult for patients.
Doctors had warned that the only way to combat asbestosis was to limit asbestos exposure. It would take decades before asbestos was regulated, but it would be too late by then. Thousands of workers would be diagnosed with mesothelioma, lung cancer, and asbestosis.
Profits, Not People
In 1930, scientists established a clear link between asbestos exposure and lung cancer. At the same time, they were beginning to understand the ramifications of mesothelioma, its fatal nature, and the fact that this aggressive cancer could only be caused by exposure to asbestos.
Between 1940 and 1980, the asbestos industry experienced exponential growth, expanding into a multibillion-dollar business. This rapid expansion led to a surge in employment, with the industry boasting a workforce of over 200,000 workers across numerous trades. Success hinged on ignorance, so the companies willfully kept the truth about asbestos secret.
As a result, hundreds of thousands of workers and their families were unknowingly exposed to the hazards of asbestos. Driven by profit and a disregard for human life, companies left their employees vulnerable to a host of debilitating and fatal illnesses.
They Knew
Court evidence has revealed a pattern of deception among multiple companies regarding the dangers of asbestos. Some companies actively suppressed medical research highlighting the need for stricter regulations and safer working conditions. The deliberate concealment of information prevented the implementation of measures that could have protected countless workers from asbestos exposure.
In 1948, internal memos from large corporations warned of asbestosis from asbestos exposure. An inter-office memo from the National Gypsum Company, stamped “Personal & Confidential” read, “Just as certain as death and taxes . . . if you inhale asbestos dust you get asbestosis.”
Another memo from the E.A. Martin of the Bendix Corporation was written to a Johns Manville official, “My answer to the problem is: if you have enjoyed a good life while working with asbestos products why not die from it.”
Some companies withheld crucial medical information from their employees, including X-rays showing early signs of respiratory illness. This prevented workers from seeking timely medical attention and understanding the full extent of the risks they faced due to their occupational asbestos exposure.
The actions of these companies were a blatant disregard for the health and safety of their workers. By concealing medical research and withholding vital medical information, they actively contributed to the asbestos cover-up, perpetuating the exposure of workers to this hazardous material and delaying the implementation of necessary safety measures. An abbreviated timeline of the cover-up is as follows:
The Sumner Simpson Papers
In 1977, a group of mesothelioma lawyers discovered a collection of documents dating back to the 1930s and 1940s that proved asbestos companies knew about the hazards of asbestos and covered them up. They became known as the Sumner Simpson Papers, uncovered in New Jersey in the offices of Raybestos-Manhattan, Inc.
The Sumner Simpsons papers detailed how several asbestos companies funded studies that showed a link between cancer and asbestos exposure. In 1947, the companies came together and decided they wouldn’t publish the findings or any content that featured objectionable material.
The Sumner Simpson papers were named after Sumner Simpson, who served as president of Raybestos-Manhattan, Inc. during the 1930s and 1940s. These papers defined “objectionable” as any information that made a connection between asbestos and cancer. Additionally, messages between asbestos company executives were included, which further proved their intent to conceal evidence regarding the dangers of asbestos.
While giant corporations mining the mineral or making asbestos products knew about its hazards, they took affirmative steps to conceal the dangers from the public. Fortunately, the consequences of exposure have come to light.
The Sumner Simpson Papers have served as crucial evidence in several asbestos lawsuits.
Johns Manville
Asbestos manufacturer Johns Manville played a significant role in concealing the harmful effects of asbestos to maintain profitability. As the largest manufacturer of asbestos products from the 1920s to the 1970s, Johns Manville’s financial success was primarily attributed to President Lewis H. Brown, whose leadership was defined by a blatant disregard for the health and safety of his workers.
Under Brown’s direction, Johns Manville actively suppressed research and evidence that revealed the dangers of asbestos exposure. The company was aware of the health risks associated with asbestos as early as the 1930s. Still, instead of taking action to protect its workers and consumers, it chose to prioritize profits over people. This deliberate concealment of information allowed Johns Manville to continue manufacturing and selling asbestos products for decades, resulting in countless cases of asbestos-related diseases, including mesothelioma, lung cancer, and asbestosis.
In 1949, Dr. Kenneths Smith, a local physician, sent a notice to Johns Manville headquarters regarding a health concern with seven of their workers. They had received chest X-Rays that displayed early signs of asbestos, to which Brown decided it was best not to show the men, as the asbestosis in their lungs was not debilitating at the time. The company took it one step further and made Smith’s advice company policy, ensuring sick employees were kept entirely in the dark. Brown later hired Dr. Smith as medical director of Johns Manville, continuing his cruel approach to occupational health and safety.
During a deposition in 1984, Brown displayed a chilling disregard for his men. Brown was asked “would you let them work until they dropped dead,” to which he answered with “Yes. We save a lot of money that way.”
Johns Manville’s actions demonstrated a lack of corporate responsibility and contributed to a widespread public health crisis. The company’s cover-up delayed the implementation of safety regulations and prevented individuals from making informed decisions about their health. This negligence had a devastating impact on the lives of thousands of workers and their families, who were left to suffer the consequences of asbestos exposure.
Metropolitan Life Insurance Company
Metropolitan Life Insurance Company was not an asbestos company, but it worked closely with asbestos companies to conceal the health hazards of asbestos. By 1944, MetLife had insured over a dozen huge names in the industry, including Johns Manville, Raybestos-Manhattan, National Gypsum, Fibreboard, and Flintkote.
As early as 1932, MetLife was aware of the high occurrences of asbestosis at Johns Manville’s New Jersey factory. They successfully blocked an inspection for poor work conditions in 1945 and convinced the government that asbestos hazards were under control.
A study conducted in the early 1930s by Dr. Lanza, a full-time employee at Metropolitan Life from 1926 to 1948, revealed the alarming impact of asbestos exposure on workers. The study found that 50% of workers with 5 to 10 years of exposure showed signs of asbestosis in x-rays. Even more concerning was the finding that 87% of workers with more than 15 years of exposure had developed lung disease.
Raybestos-Manhattan Inc.
Since the 1920s, Raybestos-Manhattan was a leading manufacturer of asbestos-containing textiles, brake linings and other friction products. Today, they continue to do business outside the asbestos industry.
Raybestos-Manhattan was a key figure in the cover-up, as documented in the Sumner Simpson papers.
The Sumner Simpson Papers revealed private conversations that very arguably show a pattern of denial and disease and attempts at suppression of information … It further reflects a conscious effort by the industry in the 1930s to downplay, or arguably suppress, the dissemination of information to employees and the public for the fear of promotion of lawsuits.
Bendix Corporation
In 1939, Bendix Corporation (now known as Honeywell) began manufacturing asbestos friction materials for automobiles in New York. Operations expanded into Cleveland, TN, in 1964 and continued producing brake components containing asbestos until 1997.
In September 1966, Ernie Martin, the director of purchases for Bendix Corporation, shared a report with Noel Hendry, a sales manager at a Johns Manville asbestos mine in Quebec, Canada. The report cautioned that potential asbestos-related health risks could result in unwanted government regulations.
In the 1950s, surveys at Johns Manville Canadian mine and other mines throughout Quebec revealed asbestos levels ranging from 23 to 720 fibers per cubic centimeter of air (f/cc). This was a cause for alarm as U.S. regulations limited workplace exposure to 0.2 f/cc.
A Johns Manville Asbestos Fiber Division position paper titled “Asbestos and Human Health,” sent to a Bendix manager, downplayed the health risks of asbestos despite substantial evidence. The paper misleadingly asserted that the industry had invested millions in industrial hygiene and medical research, and touted asbestos as “An Essential Product” with “No Risk Shown for General Public.”
The Next Phase of the Cover-Up: Asbestos-Contaminated Talcum Powder
The revelation that manufacturers of talcum powder products knowingly concealed the presence of asbestos contamination within their products has triggered a wave of lawsuits. This stems from the severe health risks associated with asbestos exposure, including the development of mesothelioma, lung cancer, and other respiratory illnesses.
Despite the known dangers, manufacturers, such as Johnson & Johnson (J&J) and Imerys Talc America, prioritized profits over consumer well-being, actively concealing the presence of asbestos in their talcum powder products. This deception has left countless individuals unknowingly exposed to this hazardous substance, leading to devastating health consequences.
Talc and asbestos are naturally occurring minerals that form under similar conditions. Due to this close proximity during formation, talc deposits are often contaminated with asbestos during the mining process.
Reports have shown that J&J knew that asbestos was present in their talcum powder products since the 1970s. Internal documents prove that J&J covered up tests that detected asbestos from at least 1971 through the early 2000s, never reporting any findings to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Finally, in 2023, J&J ended global baby powder sales containing talc.
Despite the clear warnings and research proving the harmful effects of asbestos, companies strove to cover up the findings, consistently putting profits over people. While transparency is improving, many developing nations rely on cheap asbestos building materials and cover-ups will continue to harm individuals worldwide.
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