Westinghouse Electric — Buffalo Elevator Division in Buffalo NY

Plaintiffs alleged in publicly filed U.S. asbestos personal-injury and wrongful-death litigation that they were allegedly exposed to asbestos while working at the Westinghouse Buffalo Elevator Division plant in Buffalo New York. This page documents the Buffalo portion of Westinghouse’s multi-state industrial footprint. For the full corporate summary, see the Westinghouse manufacturer page.

Plant Description and Operating Era

The Westinghouse Elevator Division — a longstanding competitor to Otis, Dover, and Montgomery in the U.S. commercial elevator market — manufactured passenger and freight elevator hoist machines, controllers, and cab hardware at Buffalo through much of the twentieth century. Westinghouse sold the elevator business in 1988 (Schindler acquired the North American operations), and the Buffalo elevator manufacturing footprint contracted in the years that followed.

Premises ACM Narrative

At the Westinghouse Buffalo Elevator plant during the U.S. asbestos era (approximately 1920s-1980), plaintiffs allegedly encountered:

  • Asbestos pipe covering on steam mains, hydraulic-elevator test-loop piping, and utility lines
  • Asbestos-block hot-side lagging on heat-treat furnaces, brake-shoe curing ovens, and paint-cure ovens
  • Asbestos-molded De-Ion arc chute plates in Westinghouse elevator controllers, group-supervisory panels, and switchgear during production, test, and rework
  • Asbestos-fabric electrical winding insulation on Westinghouse hoist motors, brake solenoids, and elevator-machine field coils
  • Asbestos sheet gaskets at process piping, hydraulic manifolds, and boiler flanges
  • Asbestos-cement bulkhead panels in electrical rooms and elevator test towers
  • Asbestos sprayed fireproofing on structural steel in the multi-story machine-shop and test-tower buildings (pre-1973 EPA ban)
  • Elevator-specific pathway — asbestos brake linings on freight and passenger elevator hoist machines, asbestos-fabric friction sheaves, and asbestos-millboard traction machine insulation assembled and tested at Buffalo

Workers Exposed

  • HFIAW Insulators — asbestos pipe covering and block insulation
  • UA Pipefitters — flange bolt-up on hydraulic, steam, and process lines
  • IBB Boilermakers — powerhouse boiler work
  • IBEW Electricians — controller, switchgear, and elevator-test-tower work
  • BAC Bricklayers — refractory work on furnaces
  • IUE / United Electrical Workers (UE) — coil winders, hoist-machine assemblers, and controller technicians
  • Millwrights — hoist machine and test-tower installation

If You Worked at Westinghouse Buffalo

If you or a family member worked at the Westinghouse Buffalo Elevator plant — or any other Westinghouse manufacturing site — before 1980 and have been diagnosed with mesothelioma, lung cancer, asbestosis, or another asbestos-related disease, you may have a legal claim.

Free, confidential case evaluation: Speak with O’Brien Law Firm — (314) 936-2956