Wire Rope Lubricants & Hoist Components — Asbestos Exposure Crosswalk

What This Equipment Is

Industrial wire rope is used in lifting, hoisting, towing, mooring, and structural applications across mining, marine, construction, oil-and-gas, and process industries. Wire rope itself is steel — not asbestos. The exposure pathways come from:

  • Wire-rope lubricants — selected historical formulations included asbestos fiber as a stabilizer / suspension agent
  • Hoist brake components — see Brake Linings, Elevator Brake Shoes
  • Crane and hoist clutch components — see Clutch Facings
  • Hoist motor windings — see Motor Windings
  • Crane-cab heat shielding and insulation — asbestos cloth and millboard
  • Sheaves and pulleys — historical brake-grade composites in some sheave-and-pulley assemblies
  • Wireline / oilfield-service equipment — see related industrial-service applications

Why Wire-Rope / Hoist Work Was an Asbestos Exposure Pathway

Rigging and wire-rope-handling crews in mining, construction, and marine service handled lubricated rope continuously, exposing themselves to whatever fiber the lubricant contained. Crane and hoist mechanics servicing brake, clutch, and motor components encountered the same exposure pathways documented for Brake Linings and Clutch Facings at industrial scale.

Mining-hoist mechanics at deep underground mines maintained the very large hoists driving cage and skip operations — concentrated asbestos exposure across hoist brake, clutch, and motor components.

Manufacturers Named in Litigation

  • Various wire-rope and rigging OEMs
  • Crane / hoist OEMs — Demag, Whiting, P&H, Manitowoc, Grove
  • Bendix / Honeywell — friction products
  • Raybestos-Manhattan — friction products
  • Johns-Manville — asbestos cloth supplied for crane-cab and hoist applications

Documented Product References

Images sourced from publicly available product-identification reference materials. Inclusion does not constitute a finding of liability against any company.

Trust Funds That May Apply

  • Manville Personal Injury Settlement Trust
  • Raybestos-Manhattan Asbestos PI Trust
  • Pneumo Abex Asbestos PI Trust

Trades Most Exposed at Wire-Rope / Hoist Work

Riggers, mining-hoist mechanics, crane mechanics, hoist-maintenance contract crews, marine deck personnel handling lubricated wire rope, oilfield wireline workers, construction-crane operators and mechanics.

Cross-References

Compiled from publicly filed asbestos litigation, OSHA / MSHA records on rigging-and-hoist exposure, and industry-publication histories. Product and company references reflect what has been alleged or documented in publicly filed litigation. This page does not constitute a finding of liability against any company. Not legal advice; consult a licensed attorney about your specific situation.