You can hardly blame companies for using asbestos all those years ago. It was often described as a remarkable and even miracle natural mineral, and many companies were eager to jump on the bandwagon.

Although, many companies likely felt quite sheepish when they realized they were putting their workers and customers at risk by including asbestos in their products. Since then, we’ve come a long way, but that doesn’t mean we’ve forgotten which companies used asbestos the most. Let’s look at some of the most popular brands caught up in the asbestos controversy and what they’re doing today.

Johnson & Johnson

In recent years, Johnson & Johnson has been in the news for all the wrong reasons. They’ve been faced with tens of thousands of lawsuits from people claiming that their talc powder caused cancer because it was tainted with asbestos. It’s a well-known fact that talc and asbestos both come from the earth, and mining talc could mean that there’s an asbestos contamination risk.

As of 2021, J&J still has over 27,000 federal talcum powder lawsuits and many more in state courts. According to internal documents that Reuters examined, J&J knew for decades that their talcum powder sometimes contained asbestos, but they allegedly kept that information from the public and regulators.

While J&J has denied particular claims over the years, reports dating back to the 1950s from consulting labs describe contaminants from Johnson & Johnson’s Italian suppliers. Further reports over the years have yielded similar results.

As of now, it looks like their legal woes are showing no signs of reaching successful conclusions. According to Reuters, they set aside $4 billion in 2020 to cover talc-related litigation expenses.

Imerys Talc America

Imerys Talc America is all caught up in the asbestos controversy with Johnson & Johnson. This company supplied the talc used in Johnson’s baby powder. In 2017, a jury in California awarded a painter’s widow $22.17 million after hearing that Imerys reblended its talc to dilute and hide asbestos contamination.

This multinational company filed for bankruptcy in 2019, which might have been to protect itself from lawsuits related to the allegations of asbestos in talc.

Raybestos-Manhattan & Raymark Industries

Raybestos was an automotive brakes brand that Arthur H. Raymond and Arthur F. Law from Connecticut set up in 1902. They invented woven brake lining and produced Raybestos brand products from 1918 until 1989.

Raybestos had every reason to believe they were onto a winner because of asbestos’s heat resistance and strength. However, as we now know, they really weren’t onto a winner. Asbestos litigation forced them to file for bankruptcy in 1989, and a trust fund was set up in 2001 to compensate victims.

Turner & Newall

From the outside, Turner & Newall looked like a success story as far as businesses go. It was a UK-based manufacturing business established in 1871 and one of the leading companies on the London Stock Exchange.

But when you learn that they were one of the first companies to industrialise asbestos, you can see where this is going. According to some reports, this company convinced British government officials to limit asbestos safety inspections and regulations.

They also operated an asbestos mine in Southern Africa from 1939 until 2001, and many former employees were reported to have gotten sick from a lack of safety wear to protect them.

In 1998, Federal-Mogul acquired the business, which filed for Chapter 11 protection due to asbestos claims. The business went into administration in the UK in 2001, which left a pension fund deficit of around £400 million.

Johns Manville

It’s not all that common for businesses to bounce back after basing their entire business model around asbestos products, but Johns Manville is an exception to the rule. This Denver, Colorado company manufactures insulation, engineering products, and roofing materials and used to be a global leader in asbestos-containing products in the 20th century.

Back then, the company was known as Johns-Manville Corporation and was renowned for its selection of asbestos pipe insulation, asbestos shingles, asbestos cement pipe, and asbestos roofing products.

By 1982, the company faced asbestos injury claim liability and filed for bankruptcy. However, Berkshire Hathaway purchased the company in 2001. Now, Johns Manville is a leading manufacturer of asbestos-free products, like building and mechanical insulation and roofing products. They serve a range of industries and employ over 8,000 people across 46 facilities.

What to Do About Asbestos?

Most countries have taken a hard stand against asbestos imports and exports, which means most people don’t need to worry about using products containing this hazardous material. However, we still have to deal with the issue of asbestos products in our homes.

If you’re concerned about the presence of asbestos in your home or business, contact Chemcare to learn more about testing and removal for peace of mind.