The Follansbee Works of Wheeling-Pittsburgh Steel played a major role in the steelmaking legacy of the Upper Ohio Valley — and also in the asbestos epidemic that followed. Asbestos exposure at Wheeling-Pitt occurred routinely in boiler rooms, mill maintenance departments, coke ovens, and insulation repair work.
Workers were often surrounded by asbestos-laden materials such as pipe covering, insulation block, and spray-on fireproofing. These materials were disturbed daily, releasing microscopic fibers that steelworkers breathed in without warning. Asbestos exposure at Wheeling-Pitt didn’t just affect the tradesmen — it affected families too.
How Asbestos Was Used in the Follansbee Plant
Steel production involves high heat, and asbestos was the go-to material for insulating furnaces, ladles, steam lines, and even protective gloves and jackets. Maintenance workers repairing pumps, valves, and turbines regularly cut into asbestos gaskets, packing, and pipe insulation.
During shutdowns and rebuilds, clouds of dust from insulation removal filled confined spaces. Protective breathing equipment was rarely used. The result was a consistent, long-term hazard that followed workers home.
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Family Members Exposed Through Take-Home Asbestos
Asbestos exposure at Wheeling-Pitt wasn’t limited to the shop floor. Workers often returned home in dusty clothes. Their spouses shook out the laundry. Their children hugged them hello. This kind of “take-home exposure” is now a recognized path to mesothelioma, particularly for women who never worked in the plant but handled contaminated garments.
In Follansbee and nearby towns, families of Wheeling-Pitt employees have developed mesothelioma, decades after the exposures occurred. If your loved one worked at the plant and you now face a diagnosis, you may be eligible for compensation.
What to Do if You’ve Been Diagnosed
If you or a family member have been diagnosed with mesothelioma and had any contact with the Wheeling-Pitt plant in Follansbee, you should act now. The legal system allows for recovery not just by workers, but by household members who suffered take-home exposure.
Our law firm has helped steelworkers and their families throughout the Upper Ohio Valley since 1988. We know the plant, the exposures, and the corporate defendants. You’re not just a file to us — you’re a family we’re ready to stand behind.
📞 Call (412) 781-0525 for a free consultation.
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