Cape Asbestos / Cape plc

Cape Asbestos Company, later known as Cape plc, was one of the most significant companies in the global asbestos industry. Founded in 1893, the company built its business on mining crocidolite (blue asbestos) in the Northern Cape province of South Africa and manufacturing asbestos products in the United Kingdom. Blue asbestos is widely recognized as the most dangerous form of asbestos, with the highest potency for causing mesothelioma.

Cape operated several mines in South Africa, most notably at Koegas and Prieska. Working conditions in these mines were appalling, with minimal dust control measures. The surrounding communities, including many indigenous residents, were exposed to ambient asbestos fibers from mining waste dumps and processing operations. The health devastation in these communities has been described as one of the worst industrial health disasters in history.

In the UK, Cape's manufacturing operations produced a range of asbestos products, with Asbestolux insulating board being the most widely known. Cape Building Products manufactured boards, ceiling tiles, fire protection panels, and asbestos-cement products. These materials were installed in thousands of commercial, industrial, and public buildings across Britain and Ireland.

Cape faced some of the most significant asbestos litigation in UK legal history. The landmark case of Lubbe v Cape plc in 2000 established that UK parent companies could be held liable for the actions of their overseas subsidiaries, setting a precedent for multinational corporate accountability. South African claimants who worked in or lived near Cape's mines successfully pursued compensation in English courts.

Cape divested its asbestos operations and reinvented itself as an industrial services company. In 2017, the French construction services group Altrad acquired Cape plc for approximately 332 million GBP. The legacy of asbestos claims continues to be managed through the company's insurance arrangements and trust structures.