Square D Company / Schneider Electric

Headquarters: Palatine, IL Founded: 1902 Ceased Asbestos Use: 1978 Product Categories: Electrical Distribution Equipment

Company History

Square D Company was founded in 1902 and grew to become one of the most widely recognized names in American electrical distribution equipment. Over the course of the twentieth century, Square D manufactured panelboards, load centers, motor control centers, switchgear, and related components that were installed across nearly every category of commercial, industrial, and institutional construction. The company’s products were standard specifications on jobsites ranging from manufacturing plants and petrochemical refineries to hospitals, schools, and high-rise office buildings.

Square D’s prominence in the electrical trades meant that its equipment was handled, installed, modified, and maintained by electricians, maintenance workers, and industrial tradespeople throughout the postwar construction boom. The company operated manufacturing facilities across the United States and supplied products through electrical distributors and contractors on a national scale.

In 1991, Square D Company was acquired by Schneider Electric, a French multinational corporation that continues to operate under the Square D brand name in North American markets. Schneider Electric has maintained Square D as a primary product line and the brand remains active in the electrical distribution industry today. The company’s long operational history means that Square D equipment manufactured before 1978 — including products that asbestos litigation records associate with asbestos-containing components — remains present in older buildings throughout the country, where it may be encountered during renovation, demolition, or routine electrical maintenance.

Asbestos-Containing Products

According to asbestos litigation records, Square D incorporated asbestos-containing materials into several categories of electrical distribution equipment manufactured from the 1940s through approximately 1978. The asbestos content in these products is alleged to have derived primarily from phenolic molding compounds — industrial thermoset plastics used for their electrical insulating properties and resistance to heat and arcing — that were supplied to Square D by manufacturers including Union Carbide Corporation (which produced Bakelite-branded phenolic compounds), Rogers Corporation, and Durez, a division that itself had a documented history in asbestos-containing phenolic formulations.

Panelboards with Phenolic Arc Chutes (1940s–1978)

Court filings document that Square D panelboards manufactured during this period incorporated phenolic arc chutes — components designed to extinguish and contain the electrical arc generated when a circuit breaker trips under load. Plaintiffs alleged that these arc chutes, and related internal components, were fabricated from phenolic molding compounds containing chrysotile asbestos fibers. Arc chutes in electrical panelboards can be subject to significant mechanical stress during tripping events, and the arc chute components themselves may be disturbed during panel inspection, breaker replacement, or internal cleaning operations.

Motor Control Centers and Switchgear

According to asbestos litigation records, Square D motor control centers and switchgear manufactured before 1978 are alleged to have contained asbestos in arc-quenching and insulating components. Motor control centers — multi-compartment enclosures housing motor starters, circuit breakers, and related controls — were standard equipment in industrial plants, water treatment facilities, and large commercial buildings. Court filings allege that internal insulating materials and arc-suppression components within these assemblies contained asbestos-bearing phenolic compounds.

Load Centers with Asbestos-Filled Phenolic Components

Plaintiffs alleged that certain Square D load centers — residential and light commercial panel enclosures — manufactured during the relevant period also contained asbestos-filled phenolic components in their internal construction. Load centers of this era were widely installed in apartment buildings, commercial facilities, and industrial settings, and remain in service in many structures built before the late 1970s.

The use of asbestos in phenolic molding compounds was an industry-wide practice during this period. Chrysotile asbestos fibers were added to phenolic resins to improve mechanical strength, dimensional stability, and heat resistance — properties considered desirable in high-voltage switching and arc-interruption applications. Square D’s alleged use of these materials was consistent with broader manufacturing practices in the electrical equipment industry at the time.

Occupational Exposure

According to asbestos litigation records, the workers most likely to have encountered asbestos-containing Square D electrical equipment fall into several overlapping categories, reflecting the broad installation base of Square D products across American industry and construction.

Electricians and Electrical Contractors

Electricians installing, maintaining, and modifying electrical panelboards and motor control centers were in direct contact with the internal components of Square D equipment. Plaintiffs alleged that routine activities — including replacing circuit breakers, cleaning panel interiors, inspecting arc chutes, and drilling or cutting panel enclosures for conduit entry — could disturb asbestos-containing phenolic components and generate airborne fiber. Electricians working in industrial settings frequently performed these tasks in enclosed mechanical rooms or electrical vaults with limited ventilation.

Industrial Maintenance Workers

Manufacturing plants, refineries, chemical processing facilities, and power generation stations relied heavily on Square D motor control centers and switchgear. Maintenance electricians and instrument technicians working in these environments may have regularly accessed Square D equipment for troubleshooting, component replacement, and scheduled maintenance. Court filings document allegations that these workers were exposed to asbestos fibers released during such activities.

Construction Trades Working in the Vicinity

Because Square D panelboards and load centers were installed throughout new commercial and industrial construction from the 1940s onward, other tradespeople working in proximity to electrical installation — including pipefitters, millwrights, plumbers, insulators, and sheet metal workers — may have experienced bystander exposure to airborne fibers generated during nearby electrical work.

Building Maintenance Personnel

Older commercial and institutional buildings that have not undergone electrical system upgrades may still contain Square D equipment manufactured before 1978. Building maintenance personnel, facility engineers, and renovation contractors working in these structures today may encounter this equipment. Disturbing phenolic arc chutes or internal insulating components in aging electrical panels — during renovation, panel replacement, or building demolition — carries potential exposure risk that should be evaluated under current OSHA and AHERA standards before work begins.

Industrial Hygiene Considerations

The asbestos content of phenolic molding compounds used in electrical equipment was generally not labeled or disclosed to end users during the period of manufacture. Workers handling Square D equipment before 1978 would typically have had no means of identifying which specific components contained asbestos. For those working with this equipment today, any panels, motor control centers, or switchgear manufactured before 1978 should be treated as potentially containing asbestos-bearing components until testing by a qualified industrial hygienist or environmental consultant confirms otherwise.

Square D Company / Schneider Electric does not operate an asbestos bankruptcy trust fund. Unlike some asbestos defendants that resolved their mass tort liability through Chapter 11 reorganization and the establishment of Section 524(g) trust funds, Square D has remained a solvent operating company. Asbestos claims against Square D have been pursued through the civil litigation system rather than through a centralized trust claims process.

According to asbestos litigation records, plaintiffs in numerous jurisdictions have alleged that Square D electrical equipment containing asbestos-bearing phenolic components caused occupational asbestos-related disease, including mesothelioma, asbestosis, and asbestos-related lung cancer. Court filings document that these claims have involved electricians, industrial maintenance workers, and others with documented work histories involving Square D panelboards, motor control centers, and switchgear manufactured before 1978. Plaintiffs alleged that the chrysotile asbestos contained in phenolic arc chutes and insulating components was released during routine handling and maintenance of this equipment.

Because Square D / Schneider Electric is an active corporation, any legal claims related to asbestos exposure from Square D products would be pursued directly against the company in civil court, rather than submitted to a trust fund administrator.

There is no Square D asbestos trust fund. Individuals diagnosed with mesothelioma, asbestosis, or other asbestos-related disease who worked with or around Square D electrical equipment manufactured before 1978 cannot submit a trust fund claim directly to Square D or Schneider Electric.

However, potential legal options may include:

  • Direct civil litigation against Square D / Schneider Electric, based on a documented work history involving Square D panelboards, motor control centers, load centers, or switchgear manufactured during the relevant period
  • Trust fund claims against component suppliers, including manufacturers of the phenolic molding compounds alleged to have been used in Square D products — some of whom, such as Union Carbide, are associated with existing asbestos trust structures
  • Claims against other defendants identified through a full occupational exposure history, as workers who encountered Square D equipment typically worked with numerous other asbestos-containing products during their careers

Anyone with a potential claim should consult an attorney experienced in asbestos litigation. Statutes of limitations apply to asbestos claims and vary by state; prompt action following a diagnosis is important. Attorneys handling these cases typically work on a contingency fee basis and can assist in reconstructing work history, identifying all potential defendants and trust fund claims, and evaluating the full scope of exposure documentation available.