01. History of Asbestos Use
General Electric History of Asbestos Use
Since its founding in 1892, GE has been an industrial powerhouse. It began as an electricity company that pioneered many new products and systems. It expanded into many other fields, including power generation, aviation and consumer appliances. The company has been a household name for over a century.
GE used asbestos in its electrical systems, steam turbines, electronics, industrial machinery and many more products. The popularity of the company’s goods exposed countless people to asbestos. For many, this exposure led to the development of mesothelioma and other diseases.
Several groups have done studies on GE, occupational exposure and asbestos-related diseases. Findings show correlations between asbestos exposure and related cancers among GE factory employees.
For example, in 1982, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) determined GE’s heat treatment process posed an occupational asbestos exposure health hazard. Other studies of locations like GE’s Pittsfield plant in Massachusetts have reported similar findings.
Hundreds of thousands of victims have filed GE asbestos lawsuits. The company compensates those with successful cases via verdicts and settlements. GE has not filed for bankruptcy or discussed any plans to do so. The company’s high revenue allows it to continue paying victims on a case-by-case basis.
Resources for Mesothelioma Patients
02. Asbestos Products
General Electric Asbestos Products
Before the 1980s, GE often insulated its wiring and electrical components with asbestos. Many GE steam turbines and other power systems were made with asbestos insulation to protect against overheating and fire hazards.
Many GE products were popular among manufacturers and industrial companies. Thousands of U.S. sites had the company’s asbestos-containing turbines. Other products, like radios with asbestos panels, GE sold directly to consumers.
GE also owned brands like Deltabeston and Textolite. These products may not have had the GE logo but were still made by the company.
Asbestos products made by GE include:
- Deltabeston mine locomotive cables
- Deltabeston power cables
- Deltabeston range wires
- Deltabeston tri-clad brake motors
- General Electric cables
- General Electric electrical insulation
- General Electric furnaces
- General Electric gas-fired boilers
- General Electric gaskets
- General Electric model 200 brown radios
- General Electric model 201 white radios
- General Electric ovens
- General Electric turbines
- General Electric wires
- Textolite industrial laminates
- Wil-Son Patent Flex ovens
03. Occupational Exposure
General Electric and Occupational Exposure
Like many other power companies, GE once made products that contained asbestos. This put many workers and consumers at risk of asbestos exposure.
Workers at GE may have handled raw asbestos as part of the manufacturing process. Other workers often made, packaged or otherwise handled GE asbestos products. Some equipment at GE manufacturing facilities may also have contained asbestos.
For decades, GE has been a prominent company, with its products used nationwide. Many industries used its products, putting workers at risk of occupational exposure. This was especially true for power plant, shipbuilding and military workers. These workers may still face risks today from old GE asbestos products.
Family members of asbestos workers may experience secondary exposure when asbestos dust is unknowingly carried home. GE appliances and electronics may also have exposed consumers to asbestos. For example, GE ovens and radios were popular and often contained asbestos materials.
04. Asbestos Lawsuits
General Electric Asbestos Lawsuits
For decades, GE has faced lawsuits for the harm caused by its asbestos products. By 2003, the company was named in more than 440,000 lawsuits and had resolved about 300,000 cases.
By 2007, the company had paid asbestos victims an estimated total of $500 million. The company continues to face asbestos lawsuits today. As of 2025, GE hasn’t attempted to file bankruptcy or create an asbestos trust fund to handle the claims.
Most of these lawsuits point to GE turbines as the source of exposure, but other GE products have been cited, too. Some examples of asbestos exposure cases against GE include:
- In 2022, a mesothelioma patient who had made resins for GE filed a lawsuit. During the manufacturing process, the company had workers add asbestos into the resin. The jury determined this asbestos exposure led to his development of mesothelioma.
- In 2019, a mesothelioma patient filed a lawsuit after experiencing secondary asbestos exposure. Her husband had been a paper mill worker who worked near GE asbestos turbines. He unknowingly brought asbestos fibers home, which caused her exposure.
Mesothelioma patients don’t need to know how they were exposed. Lawyers at asbestos law firms can determine exposure sources for each case. People who once worked at certain GE jobsites may be able to file trust fund claims with other companies, too. Asbestos lawyers can help clients decide which legal options are best to pursue.
