Crosby Valves and Asbestos-Containing Products: Manufacturer Reference

Company History

Crosby Valves is an American manufacturer historically recognized for producing industrial pressure relief valves, safety valves, and related flow control equipment. The company’s products were engineered to meet demanding performance requirements in high-pressure, high-temperature industrial environments, including steam systems, chemical processing plants, oil refineries, and power generation facilities.

Throughout much of the twentieth century, Crosby Valves supplied equipment to major American industries during a period when asbestos was widely regarded as an essential material for thermal insulation and sealing applications. Asbestos-containing components — including valve packing, stem packing, gaskets, and internal seals — were standard features in industrial valve construction well into the late 1970s and early 1980s. According to asbestos litigation records, Crosby Valves manufactured and distributed products containing asbestos-based materials during this era, supplying equipment that was installed and maintained across a broad range of American industrial worksites.

The company operated during decades when the use of asbestos in industrial equipment was not only accepted but required by certain performance and safety standards. Regulatory pressure and evolving understanding of asbestos-related disease prompted many manufacturers to phase out asbestos-containing components. Crosby Valves is understood to have substantially ceased the use of asbestos-containing materials in its products by approximately the early 1980s, consistent with broader industry transitions occurring during that period.

Asbestos-Containing Products

According to asbestos litigation records, Crosby Valves manufactured a line of industrial valves and associated components that plaintiffs alleged contained asbestos-based materials. While specific product model numbers and detailed material specifications vary across court filings, the product categories most frequently identified in litigation include:

Pressure Relief Valves and Safety Valves Crosby Valves was particularly well known for pressure relief and safety valve products used in steam and process systems. Court filings document allegations that these valves were manufactured with internal sealing components — including seat gaskets, bonnet gaskets, and valve packing materials — that contained chrysotile or other forms of asbestos. These materials provided the high-temperature and chemical resistance properties necessary for reliable operation in demanding steam and pressure environments.

Valve Packing and Stem Packing Industrial valves of the type produced by Crosby Valves routinely incorporated compressed asbestos packing around valve stems to prevent leakage under high pressure and temperature. Plaintiffs alleged that this packing material was a source of asbestos fiber release during routine installation, adjustment, and maintenance activities. Workers who tightened packing glands, replaced worn packing, or handled packing materials in close proximity to these valves faced potential exposure.

Gaskets and Internal Sealing Components Court filings document that various Crosby valve configurations incorporated sheet asbestos gaskets or compressed asbestos fiber gaskets at flanged connections and internal mating surfaces. These gaskets were standard components across much of the industrial valve industry during the relevant period and are consistently cited in asbestos litigation involving valve manufacturers.

Steam Trap Equipment Consistent with the product categories associated with Crosby Valves, steam traps and related steam system components were part of the industrial equipment landscape served by the company. Plaintiffs alleged that steam control and trap equipment from this era incorporated asbestos-containing seals and packing materials similar to those found in the broader valve product line.

It should be noted that the specific formulations, asbestos content percentages, and exact product models associated with Crosby Valves are drawn from litigation records and plaintiff allegations. Documentation of precise material specifications depends on available historical records, company archives, and expert testimony developed in individual cases.

Occupational Exposure

The industrial environments in which Crosby Valves products were installed and maintained created conditions well-documented in occupational health literature as potential sources of asbestos exposure. Workers across numerous trades and industries encountered Crosby valve equipment during installation, operation, and maintenance activities spanning multiple decades.

Pipefitters and Steamfitters Pipefitters and steamfitters who installed and maintained steam distribution systems, pressure relief systems, and process piping were among the workers most likely to encounter Crosby valve products. According to asbestos litigation records, plaintiffs in this trade alleged exposure during the handling of valve packing materials, removal and replacement of gaskets, and general maintenance activities on steam system valves. Work on packing glands — which required periodic adjustment or complete repacking — could disturb asbestos-containing materials and release respirable fibers into the breathing zone.

Boilermakers Boilermakers working in power generation, shipbuilding, and industrial plant construction regularly worked alongside or directly with pressure relief valves and safety valves of the type manufactured by Crosby Valves. Court filings document allegations from boilermakers who identified Crosby products as part of their cumulative asbestos exposure history.

Refinery and Chemical Plant Workers Oil refineries and chemical processing facilities were significant end users of industrial safety valve equipment. Maintenance workers, instrument technicians, and process operators in these facilities regularly encountered valve equipment during turnarounds, routine maintenance, and emergency repair work. Plaintiffs employed at refinery and petrochemical sites alleged exposure to asbestos-containing valve components as part of broader claims involving multiple manufacturers and product types.

Power Plant Workers Steam-powered electricity generation facilities relied heavily on pressure relief and safety valve equipment throughout the construction and operational periods most associated with asbestos use. Workers at coal-fired and nuclear power plants — including operators, maintenance mechanics, and contract laborers performing outage work — identified valve equipment including Crosby products in their occupational exposure histories.

Shipyard Workers U.S. Navy and commercial shipbuilding facilities installed extensive quantities of industrial valves in steam propulsion systems, auxiliary systems, and shipboard piping. Court filings document that shipyard workers — including pipefitters, machinists, and general laborers — alleged exposure to asbestos-containing valve components during both new construction and overhaul work on naval and commercial vessels.

Secondary Exposure Considerations Workers who did not directly handle valve equipment but worked in enclosed spaces alongside those who did — or who were present during valve maintenance, repacking, or gasket replacement — may also have experienced asbestos fiber exposure. Additionally, family members of industrial workers may have been exposed through fibers carried home on work clothing, a pathway recognized in occupational health and legal literature as a source of secondary or take-home asbestos exposure.

The latency period for asbestos-related diseases — including mesothelioma, asbestosis, and asbestos-related lung cancer — typically ranges from 20 to 50 years following initial exposure. Workers exposed to asbestos-containing Crosby valve products during the 1940s through the early 1980s may only now be experiencing the onset of related illness.

Legal Tier Classification: Tier 2 — Litigated, No Established Trust

Crosby Valves has been named as a defendant in asbestos personal injury litigation in the United States. According to asbestos litigation records, plaintiffs have alleged that Crosby Valves manufactured and supplied products containing asbestos-based materials, and that exposure to those products contributed to asbestos-related disease. Court filings document these allegations across cases involving workers from multiple industries and trades.

Crosby Valves does not appear in the current registry of companies that have established dedicated asbestos bankruptcy trust funds under Section 524(g) of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code. As a result, claims involving alleged exposure to Crosby Valves products are typically pursued through the civil litigation system rather than through a trust fund claims process.

Individuals who believe they were exposed to asbestos through Crosby Valves products should be aware that civil litigation involving asbestos claims is subject to statutes of limitations that vary by state and by disease type. The clock on these deadlines generally begins running at the time of diagnosis rather than at the time of exposure, but specific rules differ by jurisdiction. Timely consultation with an attorney experienced in asbestos claims is essential.

If you or a family member worked with or around Crosby Valves products — particularly in pipefitting, boilermaking, power generation, refinery work, or shipyard environments between the 1940s and early 1980s — and have been diagnosed with mesothelioma, asbestosis, asbestos-related lung cancer, or another asbestos-related disease, the following options may be available:

  • Civil litigation: Because Crosby Valves does not have an established asbestos bankruptcy trust, claims are pursued through the civil court system. An asbestos attorney can evaluate the strength of your case, identify all potentially responsible parties, and pursue appropriate legal remedies.

  • Multi-defendant claims: Most asbestos exposure cases involve products from multiple manufacturers. An attorney experienced in asbestos litigation can identify all relevant companies — including those with established trust funds — that may be responsible for contributing to a claimant’s overall exposure history.

  • Product identification support: Documentation of specific Crosby Valves products at particular worksites is a critical element of any claim. Attorneys handling asbestos cases typically work with industrial hygienists, expert witnesses, and historical records specialists to establish exposure history.

  • Trust fund claims from other defendants: Even if Crosby Valves itself does not maintain a trust, other manufacturers whose products were present at the same worksites may have established Section 524(g) trusts. These claims can often be filed concurrently with civil litigation.

Workers and families are encouraged to preserve all available documentation of employment history, worksites, and product exposure and to seek legal consultation promptly following any asbestos-related diagnosis.