Massachusetts Workers Compensation Lawyers Blog
Asbestos is a highly toxic substance used in nearly every aspect of production during the industrial revolution. In many cases, it was used because of its ability to withstand heat, fire, electricity, and caustic chemicals. In other cases, it was used because of its ability to form incredibly strong chemical bonds. As one might expect, this makes it seem perfect as a bonding agent, and the ability to resist fire and heat was considered an added bonus.
Binders such as gun plastic cement and drywall compound were very heavily used in the building trades, including residential, commercial, and even industrial buildings. For example, even today in the construction industry, gun plastic cement is heavily used when installing drywall and joint compounds. Some companies would just make what is called plastic cement and the workers turn it into a product called gun plastic cement by adding industrial grade asbestos. Gun plastic cement was preferable to non gun plastic cement because the asbestos fibers make it have a stronger bond, and as the hose on the gun gets lubricated the process becomes easier to spread on wallboards. Continue reading