Asbestos at Fort Benning
For over 44
years, Fort Benning in Columbus utilized asbestos extensively in various products.
Records from asbestos trust funds associated with Fort Benning show the use of products such as
pipe insulation and pipe coverings,
millboard, panelboard and misc. building materials,
raw asbestos fibers and misc.,
boiler and high-temp equipment insulation,
gaskets, packing and seals,
flooring materials (tiles, sheet, adhesives),
joint compounds, insulating cements, adhesives and mastics,
roofing and siding shingles, coatings and sealants,
floor underlayments, backings and felts,
sprayed or trowled acoustic/decorative plasters and textures,
packing and sealants for drilling/oilfield (drilling muds).
The following list contains asbestos products identified in claims against the
Armstrong World Industries, Babcock & Wilcox, Dresser Industries, Owens Corning, Owens Corning/Fibreboard, Yarway asbestos
trust fund(s) linked to exposure at Fort Benning in Columbus, Georgia:
Armstrong World Industries
- 314 Acoustic Cement
- Accobest Gasketing Material
- Accopac Asbestos Paper
- Armaspray
- Armaspray 16 Spray-on Insulation
- Armatemp Cement No. 10
- Asphalt Tile
- CC Navy Sealer
- Emulsions
- Excelon Tile
- Excelon Vinyl Asbestos Floor Tile
- Finishes
- FRJ
- Heavy Duty FRJ
- Heavy-Duty FRJ Insulation Jacket
- Hydrocord Flooring Felt
- LT Sealer
- LT – Cork Covering
- LT – Minus Thirty Cork Covering
- LT – Thirty Cork Covering
- LT – Zero Cork Covering
- Mastics
- Nonpareil High Pressure Cement
- Nonpareil High Pressure Covering Block
- Ring Facing Material
- Rubber Tile
- S-89 (Adhesive)
- S-89 Adhesive
- S-90 (Adhesive)
- S-90 Adhesive
- Sealers
- Sheet Gasketing Material
- Sprayed Limpet
- Vinyl Asbestos Tile
Babcock & Wilcox
- FJ Furnace Boilers
- Gauges
- Insulating Firebrick
- Integral Furnace Boilers
- Marine Boilers
- Steam-Generating Boiler Products
- Stirling Boiler
- Type E Pulverizers
Dresser Industries
- Alco Locomotives
- Baroid Drilling Mud-Diaseal
- Baroid Drilling Mud-Flosal
- Baroid Drilling Mud-Super Visbestos
- Baroid Drilling Mud-Visbestos
- Bay State Abrasives
- Clark Compressor
- Consolidated Safety Valve
- Dresser Pump
- Dresser-Rand Compressor
- Dresser-Rand Turbine
- IMCO Drilling Mud-Best
- IMCO Drilling Mud-Diaseal
- IMCO Drilling Mud-Flosal
- IMCO Drilling Mud-Shurlift
- IMCO Drilling Mud-Super Best
- IMCO Drilling Mud-Super Visbestos
- IMCO Drilling Mud-Univis
- IMCO Drilling Mud-Visbestos
- Ingersoll-Dresser Pump
- Kellogg Brown & Root
- Leroi Compressor
- Magcobar Drilling Mud-Diaseal M
- Magcobar Drilling Mud-Flosal
- Magcobar Drilling Mud-Oilfaze
- Magcobar Drilling Mud-Visbestos
- Magcobar Drilling Mud-Visquick
- Manning, Maxwell & Moore
- Mid-Valley
- Moore Turbine
- Pacific Pump
- Roots Compressor
- Terry Steam Turbine Co.
- Worthington Compressor
- Worthington Pump
- Worthington Turbine
- Worthington-Moore Turbine
Owens Corning
- Ceiling Boards
- Finishing Cement
- Insulating Cement
- Kaylo 10 Block Insulation
- Kaylo 20 Block Insulation
- Kaylo Block Insulation
- Kaylo Heat Insulation
- Kaylo Insulation
- Kaylo Pipe Covering
- Kaylo Pipe Insulation
- One Cote Cement
- Ready Mix
- Type II Mastic
Owens Corning/Fibreboard
- 85% Magnesia Block, Pipe-covering and Thermal Insulation
- Aircell or Asbestos Paper Insulation
- Alumishield Roof Paint
- Asbestofelt (manufactured by a predecessor)
- Asphalt-Saturated Felts or Roll Roofing
- Caltemp (or Caltherm) Pipe Covering
- Caulking Compounds, Plastic Cements, Roof Coatings
- Colorok, Stormlap, Pabflex and Stonite Asbestos Cement Products
- FI Thermal Insulating Cement
- Flamecurb Gypsum Board
- Gaskets, Packings (manufactured by a predecessor)
- Gripdeck Floor Coating
- Gypsum Board and Lath
- Insulating Tape
- No. 127 Thermal Insulating Cement
- Pabco Pipe Covering
- Pebco Floron Floor Covering
- Plant Pipe Covering
- Prasco Pipe Covering
- Super Caltemp Pipe Covering
Yarway
- Adjustable Spray Head
- Air Control Valves
- Automatic Boiler Skimmer
- Cylinder Guided Expansion Joints
- Double-Tightening Valves
- Gun-Pakt Expansion Joints
- Hydraulic Valves
- Pipe-Joint Clamps (Simplex)
- Process Steam Traps
- Seatless (Simplex) Blow-off Valves
- Series 40 Steam Traps
- Starting and Pressure Unloader
- Tandem Blow-off Valves
- Wrought Steel Expansion Joints
Important Note: This list may not be complete and may not include all asbestos-containing
products used at the Fort Benning in Columbus, GA. The specific products
used likely varied over time.
High-Risk Asbestos Exposure Jobs at Fort Benning
Due to the extensive use of asbestos at Fort Benning, employees working in the following
positions were exposed to a significant risk of developing asbestos-related diseases:
- Abatement Worker
- Acoustical Installer
- Acoustical Worker
- Asbestos Worker
- Auto Mechanic
- Bagger
- Bag Opener
- Bale Press Operator
- Bale Roller
- Boiler Inspector
- Boilermaker
- Boiler Mechanic Helper
- Boiler Operator
- Boiler Repair
- Boiler Tender
- Boiler Worker
- Carder of Asbestos Yarn
- Carpenter
- Commercial Building Trades
- Construction Laborer
- Demolition Worker
- Diesel Mechanic
- Driller
- Drywall Installer
- Drywall Taper
- Factory
- Field Worker
- Flooring Installer
- Floor Tile & Linoleum Layer
- Furnace Installer
- Furnace Insulator
- Furnace Operator
- Furnace Repairman
- Gaskets
- Industrial Engineer
- Insulation Worker
- Insulator
- Lagger
- Lather
- Machinist
- Machinist Helper
- Maintenance Man
- Maintenance Mechanic
- Maintenance Mechanic in oilfield operations
- Mill Worker
- Mixer
- Oil Field Worker
- Operating Engineer
- Packing & Sealant Mixer or Operator
- Painter
- Pipe Coverer
- Pipefitter
- Pipe Insulator
- Plasterer
- Plumber
- Powerhouse Mechanic
- Powerhouse Operator
- Pumpman
- Puncher of Asbestos Cement Pipes
- Puncher of Millboard
- Puncher of Roofing Materials
- Remodeler
- Repairman
- Roofer
- Roofing Materials
- Roustabout
- Sheet Metal Worker
- Siding Installer
- Stationary Engineer
- Steamfitter
- Tile Helper
- Tile Installer
- Tile Layer
- Tile Mechanic
- Vinyl Asbestos Floor Tiles Worker
- Weaver of Asbestos Fibers
Important Note:
This list is derived from trust fund data associated with asbestos exposure claims, focusing on products
manufactured or supplied by companies related to relevant trust funds. It identifies occupations known to
have used these types of products at Fort Benning in Columbus, Georgia. This list
may not be exhaustive regarding all high-risk jobs at this location.
Asbestos Exposure Consequences
Fort Benning in Columbus, Georgia employees were directly exposed to asbestos
throughout their
employment, particularly between 1939 and 1982, when asbestos was heavily used.
Asbestos fibers,
microscopic and easily inhaled, are incredibly durable. Once inhaled, they can lodge in the lungs and
other organs. The body struggles to remove these fibers, leading to chronic inflammation and scarring.
For those who worked at Fort Benning, this process significantly increased the risk of severe and
often fatal asbestos-related diseases, including mesothelioma, lung cancer, asbestosis, and various
pleural conditions.
Secondary Asbestos Exposure
Asbestos exposure extended beyond the Fort Benning in Columbus. Workers often unknowingly
carried
asbestos dust home on their clothing, skin, hair, and tools. This resulted in secondary, or “take-home,”
exposure for family members residing in Columbus and surrounding communities. Even low levels of asbestos
exposure can be harmful, and these diseases often have a long latency period, sometimes appearing
decades after the initial exposure, leaving families devastated years after a loved one worked
at Fort Benning.
Filing Asbestos Claims After Exposure at Fort Benning
The eligibility requirements for filing asbestos claims vary depending on the specific trust fund
related to Fort Benning in Columbus, GA. Generally, claimants must
provide:
- Proof of exposure:
Evidence of exposure to asbestos-containing products manufactured or used by Fort Benning at
its Columbus facility between 1939 and 1982.
- Diagnosis: Medical documentation confirming a diagnosis of a qualifying asbestos-related
disease, such as mesothelioma, lung cancer, or asbestosis.
- Causation: Evidence demonstrating a connection between the diagnosed disease and the asbestos
exposure at Fort Benning in Columbus.
Important Note: Each asbestos trust fund has specific criteria, claim forms, and procedures.
Average Settlement Ranges by Type of Asbestos-Related Disease
Average settlements for asbestos-related diseases linked to exposure at the Fort Benning site in Columbus, GA, can vary significantly. For claims against companies responsible for the exposure (civil defendants),
settlements might range from approximately $28,869 and
$1,909,175. The specific amount awarded depends on
factors such as the severity of the disease, the claimant’s medical history, and details of their employment
at Fort Benning, including job duties and duration of exposure.