Chesterton Asbestos Cloth, Gaskets, and Packing

A.W. Chesterton Company manufactured a range of industrial sealing and insulating products — including woven asbestos cloth, compressed sheet gaskets, and braided packing — that contained chrysotile asbestos from at least 1907 through 1974. These products were widely distributed across heavy industrial sectors in the United States and internationally, finding use in power generation facilities, chemical plants, refineries, and manufacturing operations where high-temperature sealing and fluid control were essential requirements. Workers across a broad spectrum of industrial trades encountered Chesterton asbestos products throughout much of the twentieth century, and litigation records document that exposure to these materials has been linked to serious asbestos-related disease.

Product Description

A.W. Chesterton Company, headquartered in Woburn, Massachusetts, built its commercial reputation on engineered sealing solutions for industrial machinery and process equipment. Beginning in the early twentieth century, the company produced and marketed asbestos-containing cloth, gaskets, and packing materials under its brand name. These products served critical functions in industrial settings, where conventional materials could not withstand extreme temperatures, corrosive chemicals, or high-pressure steam environments.

Asbestos cloth manufactured by Chesterton was woven from asbestos fiber yarns, often combined with wire reinforcement or other materials to improve strength and durability. It was used as a base material for fabricating custom gaskets on-site, as a wrapping for hot pipes and vessels, and as a component in thermal insulation assemblies.

Gaskets produced by Chesterton were typically made from compressed asbestos sheet or reinforced asbestos composites. These flat sealing components were installed between flanged pipe joints, valve bodies, pump housings, heat exchangers, and pressure vessels to prevent leakage of steam, hot fluids, gases, and chemicals. They were manufactured in standard shapes and dimensions, and were also supplied as sheet stock that workers cut to fit specific equipment.

Packing materials — including braided and twisted asbestos rope and compression packing — were inserted into the stuffing boxes of pumps, valves, and rotating shafts to control leakage around moving mechanical components. Chesterton’s packing products were available in a range of compositions and cross-sectional sizes to accommodate different types of industrial equipment.

Production of these asbestos-containing product lines continued from approximately 1907 until 1974, a period spanning much of the modern industrial era in the United States and coinciding with peak demand for asbestos-based sealing materials across virtually every industrial sector.

Asbestos Content

The asbestos fiber type documented in Chesterton asbestos cloth, gaskets, and packing is chrysotile (white asbestos). Chrysotile was the predominant form of asbestos used in textile and sealing product manufacturing throughout this period, valued for its flexibility, tensile strength, and resistance to heat and chemicals.

Chrysotile fibers were woven, compressed, and braided into the finished product forms described above. In cloth products, asbestos fiber content could account for the substantial majority of material by weight. In compressed gasket sheet, chrysotile fibers were combined with binders and fillers under pressure to create a dense, resilient sealing material. Braided packing similarly incorporated chrysotile fiber as the primary structural component.

Although chrysotile was long characterized by the asbestos industry as a less hazardous fiber type compared to amphibole varieties, scientific and regulatory consensus — including findings underlying the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s asbestos standards and the Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act (AHERA) — establishes that chrysotile asbestos is a known human carcinogen capable of causing mesothelioma, lung cancer, and asbestosis at occupational exposure levels.

How Workers Were Exposed

Industrial workers in a wide range of trades and facilities encountered Chesterton asbestos cloth, gaskets, and packing over the decades these products were in use. Litigation records document that exposure occurred at multiple stages of these products’ life cycle, from initial installation through routine maintenance and eventual removal.

Gasket installation and removal generated significant fiber release. Workers cutting compressed asbestos sheet stock to size — whether by knife, saw, or abrasive wheel — released clouds of chrysotile dust into the surrounding air. Removing old, heat-bonded gaskets from flanged surfaces required scraping and wire-brushing, activities that litigation records document as capable of releasing substantial quantities of asbestos fibers.

Packing replacement in pump and valve stuffing boxes was a routine maintenance task performed by millwrights, pipefitters, and general industrial maintenance workers. Removing old packing material, cleaning the stuffing box, and cutting and installing new braided asbestos packing exposed workers to fiber release at close quarters. These tasks were performed repeatedly throughout the working lives of many industrial maintenance personnel.

Asbestos cloth handling — including cutting, folding, and fitting woven asbestos cloth for gasket fabrication or pipe wrapping — released loose chrysotile fibers. Workers who handled cloth repeatedly over time accumulated significant cumulative exposures.

Bystander exposure was also documented in litigation. Workers in the vicinity of colleagues performing gasket cutting, packing removal, or cloth fabrication were exposed to airborne fibers carried through the work environment, even if they were not directly handling the asbestos-containing material themselves.

Plaintiffs alleged in litigation against A.W. Chesterton that the company knew or should have known of the health hazards associated with asbestos fiber inhalation well before it ceased manufacturing these products in 1974, and that adequate warnings were not provided to workers who handled them.

A.W. Chesterton Company does not have a dedicated asbestos bankruptcy trust fund. The company has continued to operate and has addressed asbestos litigation through the civil court system rather than through a trust established in bankruptcy reorganization proceedings. As a result, claims arising from exposure to Chesterton asbestos products fall under Tier 2 litigation, meaning that affected individuals must pursue compensation through direct civil litigation against the company.

Litigation records document that numerous plaintiffs have brought asbestos personal injury claims against A.W. Chesterton, alleging injuries including mesothelioma, lung cancer, and asbestosis resulting from occupational exposure to the company’s asbestos cloth, gaskets, and packing materials. Plaintiffs alleged that Chesterton manufactured, sold, and distributed asbestos-containing products for decades without adequate warnings, contributing to preventable disease among the industrial workforce.

Individuals who may have legal claims include:

  • Industrial workers who installed, removed, or fabricated products from Chesterton asbestos gasket sheet, cloth, or packing
  • Workers who performed routine maintenance on equipment sealed with Chesterton asbestos packing or gaskets
  • Bystanders present in industrial facilities where Chesterton asbestos products were being handled or processed
  • Family members of directly exposed workers who may have experienced secondary exposure through contaminated work clothing

Because Chesterton continues to operate as a viable defendant, direct litigation remains the primary avenue for potential compensation. Applicable statutes of limitations for asbestos disease claims vary by state and typically begin running from the date of diagnosis rather than the date of exposure. Individuals diagnosed with mesothelioma, lung cancer, or asbestosis who have a documented history of industrial work involving sealing and packing materials should consult with an attorney experienced in asbestos litigation to evaluate their options and preserve their legal rights.