Mesothelioma Lawyer Wisconsin: Asbestos Exposure at Globe Union and Lyondell Chemical

For Workers and Families Diagnosed with Mesothelioma, Asbestosis, or Lung Cancer

Your Filing Deadline Is Running Right Now

Wisconsin law gives you **3 years from the date of diagnosis, as established under Wis. Stat. § 893.54. That clock started the day your doctor gave you the diagnosis. It does not pause while you wait, research your options, or recover from treatment. If you miss it, no attorney can help you—not because the law is unfair, but because the courthouse door closes permanently.

Call an experienced asbestos attorney in Wisconsin today. The consultation is free. The deadline is not.

Did You Work at These Facilities? You May Have Legal Rights

Former workers at Globe Union’s Milwaukee battery manufacturing facility, Lyondell Chemical’s Milwaukee operations, or comparable industrial sites in Missouri and Illinois—including Labadie, Portage des Sioux, Monsanto, and Granite City Steel—from the 1940s through the 1980s who have since been diagnosed with mesothelioma, asbestosis, or lung cancer may be entitled to substantial compensation.

Manufacturers whose asbestos-containing materials were reportedly used at facilities like these include Johns-Manville, Owens-Corning, Owens-Illinois, Garlock Sealing Technologies, Armstrong World Industries, W.R. Grace, and Eagle-Picher.

This page covers the exposure history at these facilities, the job categories that carry the highest risk, the diseases that develop from asbestos exposure, and the legal options available to you and your family through an asbestos cancer lawyer in St. Louis or statewide Wisconsin counsel.

Facility Overview and Operational History

Globe Union and Lyondell Chemical in Milwaukee’s Industrial Corridor

Globe Union Incorporated manufactured automotive batteries and electrical components in Milwaukee from the early twentieth century through its 1978 acquisition by Johnson Controls. The facility employed skilled tradespeople, production workers, laborers, and maintenance personnel across a complex that reportedly contained extensive thermal insulation systems, electrical component manufacturing areas, and process equipment.

Lyondell Chemical Company (later LyondellBasell Industries) operated large-scale chemical manufacturing in Milwaukee, requiring insulated piping systems, boilers, furnaces, and heat-generating equipment throughout its operations. Chemical processing facilities of this type typically incorporated asbestos-containing materials throughout their operational infrastructure during the relevant period.

Combined operational period of concern: Approximately the 1930s through the 1980s—the era when asbestos-containing materials were standard in American industrial construction and maintenance, at facilities in Missouri and Illinois as much as in Wisconsin.

Why Asbestos-Containing Materials Were Reportedly Used at These Facilities

The Industrial Era: 1930s–1980s

From the 1920s through the mid-1980s, asbestos-containing materials were the industry standard for thermal management in American manufacturing. Manufacturers specified them because they were inexpensive, effective at extreme temperatures, chemically resistant, and durable. Industrial facilities across Wisconsin followed exactly the same pattern.

Where Asbestos-Containing Materials Were Allegedly Present

At battery manufacturing and chemical processing facilities comparable to Globe Union and Lyondell Chemical operations, asbestos-containing materials were allegedly present in the following systems and components:

Thermal Insulation:

Furnaces, autoclaves, and curing ovens insulated with products reportedly from Johns-Manville, Owens-Corning, and Owens-Illinois
Boilers and steam line systems insulated with Johns-Manville and comparable products
Hot water distribution systems incorporating asbestos-containing pipe insulation
Pipe insulation, block insulation, and blanket insulation from manufacturers reportedly including Unarco, Carey-Canada, and Armstrong Cork Company

Fireproofing:

Structural steel fireproofing, reportedly including spray-applied Monokote (W.R. Grace) and comparable products
Spray-applied asbestos-containing fireproofing on structural members in pre-1975 construction
Floor assembly fireproofing incorporating asbestos-containing materials

Gaskets and Mechanical Seals:

Compressed asbestos gaskets from Garlock Sealing Technologies, John Crane, Inc., Flexitallic Gasket Company, and Anchor Packing Company on flanged pipe joints and valve assemblies
Valve stem seals and pump seals allegedly containing asbestos materials
Heat exchanger connections with asbestos-containing packing
Asbestos rope packing from multiple manufacturers

Electrical Components:

Electrical panels and switchgear with asbestos-containing insulating materials
Arc chutes and thermal barriers in electrical equipment incorporating asbestos
Asbestos-insulated wire and cable
At Globe Union specifically, battery manufacturing equipment and electrical component assembly reportedly involved asbestos-containing insulation materials

Building and Structural Materials:

Roofing materials and floor tiles potentially containing asbestos
Ceiling tiles incorporating asbestos fibers
Transite board and cement board construction materials

Period of Greatest Exposure Risk: 1940–1980

Occupational health researchers identify 1940 through 1980 as the era of peak occupational asbestos exposure risk in American industrial facilities. Critically, asbestos-containing materials installed during this period continued to be disturbed during maintenance and repair work well into the 1980s and 1990s—meaning a worker whose employment began after the peak installation years may still have sustained significant exposure.

Former workers employed at Globe Union or Lyondell Milwaukee facilities during any part of this period may have been exposed to asbestos-containing materials from Johns-Manville, Owens-Corning, Owens-Illinois, Garlock Sealing Technologies, Armstrong World Industries, W.R. Grace, and other manufacturers—including workers who never directly handled those materials.

High-Risk Job Categories at These Facilities

Bystander Exposure: Why “I Never Touched It” Is Not a Defense

Workers did not need to handle asbestos products directly to sustain significant exposure. Bystander exposure—inhaling fibers released by nearby workers or disturbed by ambient facility activity—produces exposures that industrial hygiene research shows can equal or exceed direct-handling exposure. This distinction is critical in litigation because defendants routinely argue that a worker “never touched” their product. Courts have repeatedly rejected that defense when the exposure history is properly documented by an experienced asbestos attorney in Wisconsin.

Heat and Frost Insulators

Among the most heavily documented occupational groups for asbestos-related disease:

Installed, removed, and replaced thermal insulation on pipes, boilers, vessels, tanks, and equipment, reportedly working with asbestos-containing products from Johns-Manville, Owens-Corning, and comparable manufacturers
Handled pipe insulation, block insulation, blanket insulation, and spray-applied insulation materials as a routine part of daily work
Generated substantial airborne fiber concentrations through cutting, fitting, and removing insulation
Members of Heat and Frost Insulators Local 1 in Missouri may have performed maintenance work at Milwaukee industrial facilities and comparable Missouri sites
Workers in this trade may have encountered asbestos-containing materials throughout their careers at Globe Union, Lyondell, and comparable facilities

Pipefitters and Steamfitters

Cut through and disturbed asbestos-insulated pipe during system modifications and repairs
Handled asbestos-containing gaskets and packing from Garlock Sealing Technologies, John Crane, Inc., and comparable manufacturers when opening flanged connections and valve assemblies
Worked on steam distribution systems and process piping throughout these facilities
At chemical processing facilities comparable to Lyondell operations, pipefitters may have encountered asbestos-containing materials on nearly every work shift, given the volume and complexity of process piping involved

Boilermakers

Worked with reportedly thick blanket and block insulation from Johns-Manville and comparable manufacturers on boiler shells, steam drums, and associated piping
Performed boiler installation, repair, rebricking, and maintenance involving asbestos-containing insulation and refractory materials
Handled asbestos rope packing for manholes and handholes and asbestos-containing boiler gaskets
Members of Boilermakers Local 27 in Missouri may have performed comparable work at Missouri and Illinois facilities along the river industrial corridor

Electricians

Electricians at battery manufacturing facilities like Globe Union may have faced a distinct and under-recognized exposure profile:

Electrical switchgear and panels manufactured with asbestos-containing arc chutes, insulating boards, and thermal barriers
Asbestos-insulated wire and cable installation and ongoing maintenance
Asbestos cloth and tape used for electrical insulation and wire bundling
Motor insulation and winding materials incorporating asbestos
Conduit systems run through asbestos-containing building materials, potentially including products from Armstrong World Industries and comparable suppliers

Maintenance Mechanics and Millwrights

Maintenance workers typically moved throughout entire facilities, producing broad and cumulative exposure profiles that can be difficult for defendants to minimize:

Worked around insulated pipes and vessels with asbestos-containing insulation from Johns-Manville, Owens-Corning, and comparable manufacturers
Serviced pumps and valves with Garlock Sealing Technologies and comparable gasket and packing materials
Opened and maintained asbestos-lined furnace and oven doors
Replaced brake pads and clutch facings in industrial equipment potentially containing asbestos
Performed repair work on roofing and flooring materials potentially including products from Georgia-Pacific, Celotex, and Armstrong World Industries

Production Workers and Laborers

Workers not directly involved with insulation, piping, or electrical systems may have been exposed when maintenance and construction work occurred nearby. Industrial hygiene research consistently shows that workers in the immediate vicinity of asbestos-disturbing activity—performing entirely unrelated tasks—can sustain exposures comparable to those of direct-handling workers. At battery manufacturing facilities like Globe Union, bystander exposure may have been especially significant in production areas adjacent to active maintenance operations.

Chemical Operators and Process Workers

At Lyondell-associated chemical facilities:

Worked in areas where asbestos-insulated equipment was regularly maintained and repaired during normal operations
May have encountered spray-applied fireproofing and insulation products during routine work
Faced elevated exposure risk during planned maintenance shutdowns—“turnarounds”—when extensive repair and re-insulation work involving asbestos-containing materials was concentrated into a compressed period, often with reduced ventilation controls

Supervisors, Foremen, and Plant Engineers

Supervisors and foremen moved throughout facilities to oversee work, which may have produced asbestos exposures comparable to or exceeding those of individual tradespeople. Presence across multiple work zones involving asbestos-containing materials from Johns-Manville, Owens-Corning, Garlock Sealing Technologies, and other manufacturers created repeated, cumulative exposure opportunities—and cumulative exposure is precisely what asbestos disease requires.

Asbestos-Containing Products and Manufacturers Allegedly Present

Based on the operational timeline, industrial context, and the nature of manufacturing at Globe Union and Lyondell Milwaukee facilities, the following product categories and manufacturers were commonly associated with similar Wisconsin, Missouri, and Illinois industrial facilities during the relevant period.

Thermal Insulation Products

Pipe Insulation and Fittings:

Johns-Manville pipe insulation products and fittings
Owens-Corning insulated pipe systems
Owens-Illinois thermal insulation products
Unarco insulation products
Carey-Canada asbestos-containing pipe insulation
Armstrong World Industries insulation materials

Block Insulation:

Johns-Manville block insulation for vessels and tanks
Philip Carey Manufacturing asbestos-containing block products

Blanket and Roll Insulation:

Owens-Illinois blanket insulation products
Johns-Manville thermal blanket insulation

Spray-Applied Insulation and Fireproofing:

Monokote (W.R. Grace) spray-applied fireproofing
Limpet fireproofing products
Comparable spray fireproofing products used in pre-1975 industrial construction

Gaskets and Packing Materials

Compressed asbestos gaskets and rope packing were standard components in industrial mechanical systems throughout the relevant period. Manufacturers allegedly supplying Milwaukee industrial facilities included:

Garlock Sealing Technologies—reportedly used throughout industrial piping and valve systems
John Crane, Inc.—seal