Owens Illinois and Asbestos-Containing Products: A Reference Guide for Exposure Research

Owens Illinois is among the manufacturers most frequently identified in asbestos litigation records spanning several decades of American industrial history. According to asbestos litigation records, the company manufactured and distributed pipe insulation and related products that plaintiffs have alleged contained asbestos, exposing generations of tradespeople and industrial workers across the United States. This reference article is intended to help workers, families, and attorneys understand the company’s product history, the occupational settings in which exposure may have occurred, and the legal landscape surrounding Owens Illinois asbestos claims.

Company History

Owens Illinois was founded as a glassware manufacturer and grew over the course of the twentieth century into a diversified industrial products company with operations spanning construction materials, packaging, and insulation. During the mid-twentieth century, the company expanded into building and industrial insulation products at a time when asbestos was widely regarded as an ideal reinforcing and fireproofing material throughout American industry.

According to asbestos litigation records, Owens Illinois was involved in the manufacture and sale of asbestos-containing insulation products during a period stretching from at least the mid-twentieth century through approximately the early 1980s, when the company is understood to have ceased incorporating asbestos into its product lines. This timeframe corresponds closely with the broader industrial pattern across American manufacturing: the peak use of asbestos in commercial and industrial construction during the postwar decades, followed by a gradual withdrawal as scientific and regulatory understanding of asbestos hazards became impossible to ignore.

Court filings document that Owens Illinois was aware of internal and external research concerning the health risks associated with asbestos exposure during portions of its period of manufacture. Plaintiffs have alleged in numerous cases that the company possessed or had access to medical and scientific literature linking asbestos fiber inhalation to serious pulmonary disease, including asbestosis and malignant mesothelioma, during years when its products remained in active production and distribution.

Owens Illinois is a legally distinct corporate entity from Owens Corning, though the two companies are frequently discussed together in the context of asbestos litigation due to overlapping corporate histories, shared product categories, and the prominence of both names in mid-century insulation manufacturing. Researchers and attorneys should treat each entity separately when investigating exposure histories and legal options.

Asbestos-Containing Products

According to asbestos litigation records, Owens Illinois manufactured pipe insulation products alleged to have contained asbestos during its relevant period of production. Pipe insulation was among the most common asbestos-containing product categories in American industrial and commercial construction from the 1940s through the early 1980s. Asbestos was incorporated into pipe insulation for its thermal resistance, its ability to withstand high-temperature steam systems, and its durability in environments subject to mechanical stress and moisture.

Court filings document that Owens Illinois pipe insulation products were distributed to and installed in a wide range of industrial and commercial facilities, including power generation plants, refineries, shipyards, chemical processing facilities, and large commercial construction projects. Plaintiffs have alleged that these products were sold under product names and specifications consistent with the industrial insulation market of the era, though the complete product naming history for Owens Illinois pipe insulation has been the subject of ongoing documentary investigation in litigation.

Pipe insulation of the type alleged to have been manufactured by Owens Illinois was typically supplied in pre-formed sections designed to fit around pipes of standardized diameters. According to asbestos litigation records, these sections were installed, cut, and fitted by insulation workers, pipefitters, and related tradespeople whose daily tasks brought them into regular and close contact with the product. The cutting, shaping, and fitting of asbestos-containing pipe insulation are recognized as activities capable of generating elevated concentrations of respirable asbestos fibers.

Occupational Exposure

Plaintiffs have alleged in asbestos litigation that workers in a broad range of trades and industries encountered Owens Illinois pipe insulation products in the course of their employment. According to asbestos litigation records, the occupations most frequently identified in connection with this type of product include:

  • Pipefitters and steamfitters, who installed and maintained pipe systems in industrial and commercial facilities
  • Insulation workers (insulators), who applied, removed, and replaced pipe covering in industrial plants and construction sites
  • Boilermakers, who worked in close proximity to insulated pipe systems in power plants and industrial facilities
  • Plumbers, whose work on building mechanical systems brought them into contact with insulated pipework
  • Shipyard workers, who installed and maintained pipe insulation aboard vessels under construction or repair
  • Refinery and chemical plant workers, who labored in environments where high-temperature pipe systems required extensive insulation
  • Maintenance and millwright workers, who performed repair and upgrade work in facilities where asbestos-containing insulation remained in place long after initial installation
  • Construction laborers and helpers, who worked in proximity to insulation tradespeople on large commercial and industrial jobsites

Court filings document that exposure to asbestos-containing pipe insulation was not limited to the workers who directly handled the product. Bystander exposure—the inhalation of asbestos fibers by workers in adjacent trades or areas—has been a recurring subject of litigation involving pipe insulation products. Plaintiffs have alleged that fiber release during cutting, removal, and disturbance of installed insulation created exposure conditions affecting anyone working in the vicinity.

The latency period for asbestos-related diseases is well established in medical literature: mesothelioma, lung cancer, and asbestosis typically do not present clinically until ten to fifty years after initial exposure. This means that workers who encountered Owens Illinois pipe insulation products during the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s may be receiving diagnoses of asbestos-related illness today. Family members who laundered the work clothing of insulators, pipefitters, or related tradespeople may also have experienced secondary asbestos exposure and should consult with a qualified attorney regarding their individual circumstances.

Trust Fund / Legal Status

Owens Illinois does not have an established asbestos bankruptcy trust fund. Unlike manufacturers such as Owens Corning or Armstrong World Industries, which reorganized under Chapter 11 bankruptcy and established Section 524(g) trusts to address asbestos liabilities, Owens Illinois has remained a solvent entity that has addressed asbestos claims through conventional litigation rather than through a trust mechanism.

According to asbestos litigation records, Owens Illinois has been named as a defendant in a substantial number of asbestos personal injury and wrongful death cases filed across the United States. Plaintiffs have alleged that the company’s pipe insulation products caused or contributed to diagnosed asbestos-related diseases including malignant mesothelioma, asbestosis, and asbestos-related lung cancer. Court filings document that the company has contested many of these allegations, and outcomes have varied across individual cases and jurisdictions.

Because no bankruptcy trust exists for Owens Illinois, individuals seeking to pursue claims based on alleged exposure to the company’s products must do so through the civil litigation process. This means filing suit directly against Owens Illinois in a court of competent jurisdiction. The availability and strength of such a claim will depend on factors including the nature and duration of documented exposure, the ability to connect specific products to the claimant’s work history, the diagnosis at issue, and applicable statutes of limitations.

If you or a family member worked with or near pipe insulation in industrial or commercial settings between the 1940s and early 1980s, and have received a diagnosis of mesothelioma, asbestosis, or asbestos-related lung cancer, Owens Illinois may be among the manufacturers relevant to your exposure history.

Key points for workers and families:

  • Owens Illinois does not have an asbestos bankruptcy trust. Claims must be pursued through direct civil litigation against the company.
  • Plaintiffs have alleged in court filings that Owens Illinois pipe insulation products contained asbestos and that the company had knowledge of associated health risks.
  • Mesothelioma and other asbestos diseases have long latency periods. A diagnosis today may be linked to workplace exposures that occurred decades ago.
  • Statutes of limitations for asbestos claims vary and are calculated differently for different disease types and jurisdictions. Time limits apply and should not be ignored.
  • An attorney experienced in asbestos litigation can help evaluate whether Owens Illinois and other manufacturers may be relevant to your specific work and exposure history.

This article is intended as a factual reference for research purposes. It does not constitute legal advice. Individuals with asbestos-related diagnoses should consult a qualified attorney to evaluate their specific circumstances and legal options.