Asbestos floor tiles

1907

PRODUCT USE

79 years

1986

This product was usually manufactured with materials found in nature, such as stone, ceramic, marble, wood and clay, or artificial ones, like vinyl and resin polymers. Until the 1980s, the floor tiles’ ability to sustain damage from fire came from the asbestos fiber added in their production process.

The toxicity of floor tiles was pretty low as long as they remained intact. The risk of them getting friable in time was almost nonexistent. By cutting or damaging them when removal was required, made the asbestos containing tiles to release asbestos dust in the nearby environment. You could have been exposed if:

• You found yourself working in old structures
• You helped install or remove asbestos floor tiles
• You performed demolition work
• You did remodeling work in old buildings
• You entered in contact with the clothes or the gear covered in asbestos dust

Companies liable for manufacturing or use of asbestos floor tiles

• Fibreboard Company
• GAF Corporation
• Flintkote Company
• Dresser Industries
• Johns-Manville
• Uniroyal Holding, Inc.
• Armstrong World Industries, Inc.
• Kentile Floors, Inc. (Metex)
• Furnco Construction Corp.
• Aerojet Rocketdyne Holdings
• Occidental Chemical Corporation
• Taylor Forge & Pipe Works
• Danly Machine Corporation
• Northrop Grumman
• Caterpillar Inc.
• American Can Company
• Kelsey-Hayes Company
• Textron Inc.
• American Crane Corporation
• Youngstown Sheet and Tube Co.
• James River Corporation
• Wheelabrator Frye Inc.
• Rust International Inc.