In addition to its great ability to insulate against heat, sound and corrosion, asbestos also provided effective insulation against electricity. In addition, its resistance to fire helped thwart the spread possible electrical fires. This was an especially valuable characteristic on ships, where fire risks are most lethal. This application in wiring onboard ships saw its heavy use beginning around the start of World War II, when the United States drastically increased the size of their naval fleet. This asbestos electrical product use continued into the second half of the twentieth century, as the housing boom and stabilizing economy saw new construction which utilized this new electrical protection.

Electrical Cloth

Before the use of plastic, electrical cloth surrounding wiring was composed of asbestos. This material’s natural resistance to electricity and fire, in addition to its flexibility and tensile strength, made it an ideal choice for electrical wiring. Composed of various levels of asbestos, this cloth remained relatively safe when undamaged. However, cutting it to length released these asbestos fibers, allowing them to collect in the small areas electricians frequently worked.  

Electrical Breakers

As another area supporting strong electrical currents, heat and possible fire, electrical breakers were frequently manufactured with protective asbestos components. Electrical breakers are automatic electrical switches that protect electrical circuits from the damage of overload or short circuit. Designed in sizes large enough to protect high voltage sources feeding entire cities, asbestos provided the strength and electrical insulating ability that these vital electrical components needed.

Electrical Panel Arc Chutes

Arc chutes insulate and protect circuits from shorting in circuit breakers. The natural insulator, asbestos, has been a component of high-voltage circuit breakers due to its strong insulation and nonconductive properties. In addition, asbestos arc chutes were far less expensive than non-asbestos models, adding to their popularity with companies. However, like most asbestos products, when the material ages, it becomes friable, releasing its dangerous particles which collect in the areas around the product and put anyone in the vicinity at risk.  

Electrical Panel Partitions

Electrical panel partitions separate electrical system wiring components in order to decrease the risks of having such high volumes of electricity passing through a confined location. These risks include damage from overheating close components may face. Like other asbestos-containing electrical system components, electrical panel partitions gained popularity during World War II and the years that followed, seeing installation in homes, offices, schools and other locations throughout the United States.  

Asbestos Electrical Product Risks

Because electrical systems in homes, offices and industrial settings may go many years without replacement, the presence of asbestos in these system components remains high even today. Although relatively well contained, these sources of asbestos pose a significant threat to those who risk frequent contact with these materials and the areas of the home they sit in. This includes electricians, professional renovators and other tradesmen that may work in confined locations with these products.

Workplace exposure remains the greatest risk of developing an asbestos-related disease from exposure to asbestos electrical products. Typically the intense, sustained level of exposure workers face presents the greatest risk of exposure and associated disease. These diseases include mesothelioma, lung cancer and asbestosis. When asbestos fibers enter the body, most often through breathing without a protective device, they can become stuck in the layer of tissue that lubricates and protects the body’s lungs, heart and stomach, causing the cancer known as mesothelioma to develop. Unfortunately, these workers also risked bringing these fibers home on their clothing, putting their families at risk for developing such diseases as well.