Owens Corning / Owens-Illinois: Asbestos Products, Occupational Exposure, and Trust Fund Information

Owens Corning was one of the most significant manufacturers of asbestos-containing insulation products in the United States during the mid-twentieth century. Workers across a wide range of trades — pipefitters, insulators, boilermakers, sheet metal workers, and construction laborers — encountered Owens Corning asbestos products on jobsites throughout the country from the late 1930s through the early 1970s. The company’s Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing in 2000 resulted in the creation of an active asbestos personal injury trust, which continues to compensate eligible claimants today.

Company History

Owens Corning was founded in 1938 in Toledo, Ohio, as a joint venture between Owens-Illinois Glass Company and Corning Glass Works. The company was initially focused on fiberglass insulation products, but its product portfolio expanded significantly over the following decades to include thermal insulation for industrial piping and commercial construction.

A critical point in the company’s asbestos history involves the Kaylo product line. Kaylo insulation was originally developed and manufactured by Owens-Illinois, which introduced the product in the late 1940s. Owens-Illinois conducted internal research during that period that documented the hazardous properties of asbestos-containing Kaylo products — research that later became central to asbestos litigation. In 1958, Owens Corning purchased the Kaylo product line from Owens-Illinois and continued manufacturing and marketing Kaylo-10 pipe and block insulation until the company ceased using asbestos in its products in 1972.

During the years Owens Corning manufactured asbestos-containing products, the company distributed them nationally through insulation contractors, industrial suppliers, and construction wholesalers. Kaylo products were specified by engineers and purchased by contractors on major industrial, commercial, and government projects across the United States.

Asbestos-Containing Products

Owens Corning manufactured and sold the following documented asbestos-containing products:

Kaylo-10 Pipe and Block Insulation

Kaylo-10 was a calcium silicate thermal insulation product manufactured by Owens Corning from 1958 until the company phased out asbestos use in 1972. The product contained chrysotile asbestos and was designed for high-temperature industrial applications, including insulation of steam pipes, process piping, and boilers in power plants, refineries, shipyards, and manufacturing facilities.

Kaylo-10 was sold in both pipe-covering sections and flat block form. When workers cut, sawed, filed, or broke Kaylo-10 insulation — routine tasks in installation and removal — the product released visible asbestos-containing dust. Workers in the immediate area, as well as bystanders such as other tradespeople working nearby, were exposed to airborne asbestos fibers during these activities.

The product line was distributed under the Kaylo name before Owens Corning’s 1958 acquisition. Workers who handled Kaylo insulation during the 1940s and early 1950s may have been working with Owens-Illinois-manufactured product rather than Owens Corning product, a distinction that can be relevant to determining which trust or legal avenue applies to a given claim.

Aircell Pipe Covering

Owens Corning also manufactured Aircell pipe covering, an asbestos-containing product used to insulate pipes in commercial and industrial construction. Like Kaylo-10, Aircell was a thermal insulation product applied to piping systems and was subject to cutting and fitting by insulation workers. The asbestos content of Aircell made it hazardous during installation and, particularly, during removal or renovation work performed after the product had aged and become friable.

Spray-Applied Fireproofing Products

In addition to pipe and block insulation, Owens Corning was involved in the manufacture of spray-applied fireproofing materials during the period when asbestos was widely used as a fireproofing agent. Spray-applied asbestos fireproofing was applied to structural steel in commercial high-rise buildings, schools, hospitals, and other large structures. Workers who mixed, applied, or later disturbed these spray-applied materials during renovation or demolition were exposed to high concentrations of airborne asbestos fibers.

Occupational Exposure

Exposure to Owens Corning asbestos products occurred across many industries and trade categories. The following occupational groups have documented histories of working with or near Owens Corning products:

Pipe Coverers and Insulators had the most direct and sustained exposure. These workers handled Kaylo-10 and Aircell pipe covering daily, cutting sections to fit pipe runs, beveling ends, and applying finishing cement — all activities that generated asbestos dust in enclosed mechanical rooms, shipboard engine rooms, and industrial plant environments.

Pipefitters and Steamfitters regularly worked alongside insulators and frequently handled insulation products themselves when removing old covering to access pipe for repairs or modifications. Workers in power plants, chemical plants, oil refineries, and paper mills encountered Kaylo-10 and Aircell throughout their careers.

Boilermakers who worked in power generation facilities and industrial plants were routinely exposed to Kaylo-10 during boiler overhauls and maintenance outages, when asbestos block insulation was removed from boiler casings and pipe connections.

Shipyard Workers represent a particularly heavily exposed occupational group. Kaylo products were used extensively in the construction and repair of naval vessels and commercial ships, where pipes and boilers required thermal insulation and the confined spaces of shipboard compartments concentrated airborne asbestos fibers.

Construction Workers on commercial building projects where Owens Corning spray-applied fireproofing was used were exposed during both original construction and subsequent renovation work. Demolition workers, drywall contractors, and HVAC technicians who later worked in buildings where these products had been applied faced secondary exposure risks.

Maintenance and Facilities Workers in industrial plants, hospitals, and institutional buildings who removed or disturbed aging Owens Corning insulation during repair work faced significant exposure, as aged and friable asbestos insulation releases fibers readily when disturbed.

Diseases associated with asbestos exposure — including mesothelioma, asbestos-related lung cancer, asbestosis, and pleural disease — typically have latency periods of 20 to 50 years between exposure and diagnosis. Workers exposed to Owens Corning products during the 1950s, 1960s, and early 1970s may only now be receiving diagnoses related to that exposure.

Chapter 11 Bankruptcy and Trust Establishment

Owens Corning filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in October 2000, citing overwhelming asbestos personal injury liability. After several years of reorganization proceedings, Owens Corning’s asbestos liabilities were resolved through the establishment of the Owens Corning Fibreboard Asbestos Personal Injury Trust, which became operational following the company’s emergence from bankruptcy.

The trust was funded to compensate individuals who were exposed to asbestos-containing products manufactured or sold by Owens Corning, as well as products attributable to Fibreboard Corporation, whose liabilities were consolidated into the same trust structure.

Filing a Claim with the Owens Corning Fibreboard Asbestos PI Trust

The Owens Corning Fibreboard Asbestos PI Trust accepts claims from individuals diagnosed with asbestos-related diseases who can demonstrate exposure to a covered Owens Corning product. The trust processes claims under defined disease categories, each with its own eligibility criteria and payment levels. Qualifying diseases generally include:

  • Mesothelioma (all confirmed diagnoses receive priority review)
  • Lung cancer with documented asbestos exposure history
  • Asbestosis meeting defined clinical and exposure criteria
  • Other asbestos-related pleural disease meeting trust guidelines

To file a claim, claimants or their legal representatives must submit documentation establishing the diagnosis (pathology reports, physician diagnosis letters), medical records supporting the asbestos-related diagnosis, and exposure evidence connecting the claimant to Owens Corning products. Exposure evidence may take the form of co-worker affidavits, employment records, union records, contractor invoices, building specifications, or personal testimony documenting the presence and use of Kaylo-10, Aircell, or other covered products at specific worksites.

Claims are typically filed through an asbestos attorney who specializes in trust fund claims. Attorneys experienced in asbestos litigation maintain records of product identification and jobsite history that can significantly strengthen a trust claim. There is no requirement to file a lawsuit to submit a trust fund claim, and trust claims can often be processed independently of litigation.

Individuals exposed to Kaylo insulation prior to 1958 — during the period when the Kaylo line was manufactured by Owens-Illinois — should discuss with an attorney whether their claim is more appropriately directed to a separate Owens-Illinois trust or legal remedy, as Owens-Illinois maintained its own separate asbestos liability exposure and subsequent proceedings.

Plain-Language Summary

If you or a family member worked with Kaylo-10 pipe insulation, Aircell pipe covering, or Owens Corning spray fireproofing products and have been diagnosed with mesothelioma, lung cancer, asbestosis, or another asbestos-related illness, you may be eligible to file a claim with the Owens Corning Fibreboard Asbestos Personal Injury Trust. This trust was established specifically to compensate workers harmed by Owens Corning asbestos products. You do not need to file a lawsuit to access trust compensation. An asbestos attorney can evaluate your exposure history, identify which trusts apply to your situation, and file claims on your behalf. Given the long latency of asbestos-related diseases, exposures that occurred decades ago on industrial, shipyard, or commercial construction jobsites may qualify today.