Foundry Workers Sue Respirator Makers, Suppliers & Insurers in Wisconsin

OSHKOSH, Wis. - About a dozen foundry workers in Wisconsin have sued the manufacturers of several respirators and the companies that supplied them to their employers, claiming the devices failed to protect them from dangerous levels of silica dust. Allen, et al. v. Pfizer Inc., et al., No. 05CV1237 (Wis. Cir. Ct., Winnebago Cty.).

The lawsuit, filed recently in Winnebago County Circuit Court, alleges that the mask and respirator makers conspired to keep their products in the market, despite knowledge that they would not adequately protect workers from inhaling harmful dust.

'The respiratory protection defendants engaged in concerted action pursuant …