Uralita

Uralita S.A. was founded in 1907 and became Spain's most prominent manufacturer of asbestos-cement products. For most of the 20th century, the company operated multiple factories across Spain, with the Cerdanyola del Valles plant near Barcelona being the largest and most notorious. The brand became so pervasive in Spanish culture that the word "uralita" entered the colloquial vocabulary as a generic term for any corrugated roofing sheet.

Uralita manufactured a wide range of asbestos-cement products including corrugated and flat roofing sheets, water and sewage pipes, downpipes, water tanks, and building facade panels. The company primarily used chrysotile (white asbestos), though some products contained crocidolite (blue asbestos) or amosite (brown asbestos), particularly in earlier production periods.

The health impact of Uralita's operations was severe. Workers at the Cerdanyola del Valles plant and residents of surrounding neighborhoods developed mesothelioma and asbestosis at alarming rates. Epidemiological studies documented a clear cluster of asbestos-related diseases in the area. The factory closed in 1997, but the health consequences continue to emerge due to the long latency period of asbestos-related diseases.

Uralita stopped using asbestos in its products in 2002, when Spain implemented the European Union's asbestos ban. Multiple lawsuits have been filed by former workers and affected residents. Spanish courts have awarded compensation in several landmark cases, though many victims and families argue that the amounts are insufficient given the scale of suffering.

Today, Uralita asbestos-cement products remain installed on millions of Spanish buildings, particularly agricultural structures, industrial warehouses, and older residential buildings. The Spanish government has faced ongoing pressure to establish a comprehensive national removal plan and a dedicated victim compensation fund.