01.石棉使用的历史
Armstrong International，Inc。石棉历史使用
In 1900, Adam Elliott Armstrong founded Armstrong International in Three Rivers,Michigan。Armstrong was involved in the machining industry for four years before founding Armstrong Machine Works, which later adopted the name Armstrong International.
The company quickly made a name for itself with Adam Armstrong’s unique designs. In 1911, Armstrong invented and patented the first inverted bucket steam trap. This product worked more reliably than other steam traps on the market at the time by using fewer moving parts.
By the 1940s, Armstrong International began to use asbestos components in its steam traps and other products. The company sourced asbestos parts, likegaskets和asbestos cloth, from other manufacturers.
In 1943, Armstrong International humidification systems included asbestos cloth to increase resistance to internal pressure. The company’s inverted bucket steam traps also contained asbestos components as early as 1947 until 1987. Armstrong International’s steam traps were used across many industries, exposing thousands of individuals to asbestos.
阿姆斯特朗国际的成功将成千上万的工人暴露给石棉。1957年的广告声称该公司的倒立斗陷阱比任何其他类型的蒸汽疏水阀更广泛地用于工艺设备。
Armstrong International的含石棉蒸汽陷阱等产品的普及使公司能够扩大全球。1969年，该公司在国际上扩展到比利时。
In 1982, the company officially changed its name from Armstrong Machine Works to Armstrong International to reflect its broad reach. That same year, the company purchased theNew Jersey基于永恒的阀门公司，这是一个石棉阀门制造商，现在也参与了索赔石棉曝光。
In 1986, Armstrong International partnered with Japanese company, Yoshitake. The deal included Armstrong International marketing Yoshitake’s regulators in North America and Latin America. In return, Yoshitake agreed to market Armstrong International’s steam traps in Asia. When Armstrong International brokered this deal, the company was still usingasbestos-containing parts within its products，这可能导致国际曝光。
在中间-1980s, Armstrong International ended its asbestos use after 40 years.
Armstrong International ended asbestos use in its steam traps in 1987. Court records and product catalogs indicate the company’s asbestos use ceased entirely around this time, as well.
阿姆斯特朗国际开始在asb被命名tos claims in the 1990s. Despite the growing number of claims, the company continued to expand into new markets. Today, Armstrong International employs 3,000 people globally and continues to be named in asbestos lawsuits.
Resources for Mesothelioma Patients
02.石棉产品
Armstrong International，Inc。石棉产品
ARMSTRONG国际设计和制造空气，水和蒸汽控制设备。由于石棉耐热和压力，因此该公司在其产品中使用了矿物质来承受这些条件。
Armstrong International’s inverted bucket steam traps contained a single gasket to provide a tight seal and ensure steam wouldn’t escape. The gaskets used in steam traps were made with asbestos from the mid-1940s until 1987.
The company did not make the asbestos components for its products. Instead, it sourced these parts from other asbestos companies, includingJohns-Manville。
其他阿姆斯特朗国际产品也包含石棉零件。该组件通常使用石墨或不锈钢组合石棉，以增加强度。公司产品中最早提到石棉是1943年的，虽然这些日期因产品而异。阿姆斯特朗国际停止了20世纪80年代中期的所有石棉使用。
Armstrong International products that contained asbestos components include, but are not limited to:
- Air vents
- Ball float steam traps
- Humidification systems
- Inverted bucket steam traps
- Liquid drainers
- Pipe strainers
03. Occupational Exposure
Armstrong International, Inc. and Occupational Exposure
Armstrong International’s products may have从许多行业到石棉的人。人与公司的产品tween the mid-1940s and 1980s may have come into contact with asbestos fibers.
The company used asbestos components, like cloth and gaskets, in its products. These parts were constantly under high pressure and needed to be changed frequently by machinists or parts cleaners. Workers who cleaned, replaced or repaired these parts would have been most at risk of asbestos contact.
armstrong国际产品存在于许多求职，包括chemical plants,Navy vessels和paper mills, among others. Employees who worked around machinery in these settings may have experienced occupational asbestos exposure.
04. Asbestos Litigation
反对Armstrong International，Inc。的石棉诉讼
In the 1990s, Armstrong International began being named inasbestos claims。The company continues to be included in lawsuits filed today. Plaintiffs commonly include Naval machinists, chemical plant workers, plumbers and paper mill masons, among others.
许多这些诉讼有关armstrong国际负责警告用户关于其石棉组成部分，即使公司不由公司制造。例如，Arthur Whelan曾在40年以上的水管工，并通过公司的产品暴露于石棉。
Whelan recalled working on Armstrong International steam traps used within commercial boilers. His duties included cleaning out and replacing asbestos gaskets in the steam traps. The asbestos would become baked onto the trap with use, so Whelan had to carefully scrape clean the steam traps and remove the gaskets. Maintenance on the traps typically took between one and four hours.
In 2008, Whelan was diagnosed withasbestosis。Four years later, he was diagnosed withmalignant pleural mesothelioma。
Armstrong International called its asbestos use “necessary” and “standard in the industry.”
Whelan针对若干石棉公司提起诉讼，包括阿姆斯特朗国际。最初，该公司声称它不对Whelan的曝光负责。Armstrong International认为，虽然原有的垫圈包含石棉，但任何替代品都可能没有石棉。然而，在证词期间，本公司承认其产品目录列出了石棉垫圈作为其蒸汽疏水阀的适当替代部分。
阿姆斯特朗国际试图让案件被驳回，但法院否认了议案，给予Whelan获得获得赔偿的机会。
对Armstrong International的诉讼正在进行中。成功的石棉曝光索赔可能会导致赔偿石棉受害者。The company pays claimants with its own funds through insurance policies.
