01. History of Asbestos Use
Longo Labs History of Asbestos Use
Longo Labs is a company that furnishes laboratories. It designs lab layouts and installs products like fume hoods, tables and fixtures. It did not make asbestos products, but it may have installed ones produced by other companies.
Longo Labs began in 1964 as a laboratory furniture company focusing on educational facilities. Its business relies on supplying lab equipment to customers. This equipment is made by other companies. For example, Longo Labs currently partners with manufacturers like Hamilton Manufacturing Company and Labconco.
During Longo Labs’ first few decades in business, companies commonly made lab equipment that contained asbestos. Furniture supplied by Longo Labs made before the 1980s may have contained asbestos.
Since its founding, Longo Labs has expanded its offerings and types of clients. The company continues to work with schools and in other educational spaces. It also designs labs for pharmaceutical, chemical and electronic clients. Longo Labs says it is currently one of the largest lab design companies in the United States.
Resources for Mesothelioma Patients
02. Asbestos Products
Longo Labs Asbestos Products
Longo Labs did not manufacture asbestos products. It designed lab layouts and installed laboratory furniture made by other companies. For most of the 20th century, manufacturers like Thermo Fisher Scientific and Kewaunee Scientific Corporation made lab equipment with asbestos.
Lab activities often involve corrosive chemicals and high temperatures. Asbestos is strong and heat resistant, making it a desirable addition to lab furniture.
Types of lab furniture that may have contained asbestos include:
- Countertops
- Fume hoods
- Lab carts
- Safety cabinets
- Safety stations
Other lab equipment besides furniture may also contain asbestos. Companies used to make fire blankets, gloves, heat mats and many other products with the mineral.
Lab workers who believe they may have experienced asbestos exposure can talk to medical professionals. A doctor can watch for symptoms of asbestos disease.
03. Occupational Exposure
Longo Labs and Occupational Exposure
Longo Labs’ business may have created occupational asbestos exposure risks. A variety of people work and learn in lab settings. These people may have been exposed to asbestos from laboratory equipment.
At first, Longo Labs focused on furnishing school laboratories. Teachers and students may have faced asbestos exposure from furniture provided by Longo Labs. People may also have been at risk if they installed labs designed by Longo Labs.
Exposure in a lab setting can happen in a number of ways. For example, cutting into countertops to fit lab spaces can release asbestos fibers into the air. This presented a risk for carpenters and other members of installation teams.
Product wear and tear can also release asbestos. In this way, people who work around old lab furniture may still be at risk.
People exposed to asbestos are at risk of developing asbestos diseases like mesothelioma and lung cancer. It is important for victims of occupational exposure to seek medical help if they develop an asbestos illness. Individualized treatment plans are the best way to improve survival.
04. Asbestos Litigation
Asbestos Litigation Against Longo Labs
Mesothelioma patients and their families have named companies like Longo Labs in asbestos lawsuits. These lawsuits argue that lab equipment companies put people at risk of exposure when they made, sold and supplied asbestos products. Lawsuits may result in settlements or verdicts. Compensation for successful mesothelioma lawsuits averages over a million dollars and can help cover treatment costs.
Companies that caused exposure face asbestos liabilities. Many knew the dangers of asbestos but continued to put people at risk of exposure. Longo Labs entered the lab furniture market in 1964. By this time, the link between asbestos exposure and mesothelioma was well established. But companies still made and distributed asbestos-containing lab furniture until the 1980s.
Mesothelioma lawyers can help victims figure out if they worked in a lab designed by Longo Labs. They can also identify the companies that manufactured asbestos lab products. These companies may also be liable for asbestos diseases. Mesothelioma lawyers have the experience and resources to build strong cases.
Patients and family members can reach out to mesothelioma law firms. Lawyers at these firms have track records of getting compensation for asbestos victims.
