Henry Vogt Control Valves with Asbestos Gaskets (Yarway)

Product Description

Henry Vogt control valves were industrial flow-control components manufactured and distributed under the Yarway brand, designed for demanding high-pressure and high-temperature service environments. These valves were widely deployed in power generation facilities, refineries, chemical processing plants, paper mills, and other heavy industrial settings where precise regulation of steam, water, and process fluids was essential to plant operations.

Produced from the late 1930s through September 1, 1986, Henry Vogt control valves represented a standard engineering solution across multiple decades of American industrial expansion. Their construction incorporated internal sealing components—most critically, flat sheet gaskets and valve packing—that were manufactured using asbestos-containing materials. During the period of their production and widespread installation, asbestos was considered an industry-standard sealing material for high-heat and high-pressure applications, prized for its compressibility, chemical resistance, and thermal stability.

The September 1, 1986 cutoff date is significant and consistent with the broader shift in industrial manufacturing practices following the regulatory actions of the 1970s and early 1980s, including OSHA’s tightening of permissible exposure limits for asbestos and the growing awareness of asbestos-related disease liability within the manufacturing sector. Prior to that cutoff, asbestos-containing gaskets were a routine component of these valve assemblies.

Asbestos Content

The asbestos-containing material identified in Henry Vogt control valves was chrysotile asbestos, also known as white asbestos. Chrysotile is the most commercially widespread form of asbestos and was the dominant fiber type used in compressed sheet gasket manufacturing throughout the mid-twentieth century.

In valve assemblies, chrysotile was incorporated into:

  • Flat sheet gaskets used to seal bonnet-to-body joints and flange connections, preventing leakage of steam or process fluids under high pressure
  • Valve stem packing, which provided a dynamic seal around the moving stem of the valve to prevent blowby and fluid loss during operation

Compressed asbestos sheet gaskets of this type typically contained chrysotile fiber bound with rubber or other binders and pressed into sheets that could be cut to the specific dimensions required by a given valve body configuration. The fiber content in such products varied by formulation but was generally substantial, as the asbestos fiber provided the primary sealing and thermal resistance properties.

It is important to note that under AHERA (Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act) and OSHA standards, chrysotile asbestos is classified as a known human carcinogen associated with mesothelioma, asbestosis, and lung cancer, regardless of its fiber form.

How Workers Were Exposed

Industrial workers who installed, maintained, repaired, or replaced Henry Vogt control valves during the decades these products were in service faced potential asbestos fiber exposure through several documented pathways.

Installation and initial assembly could generate fiber release when gaskets were cut, trimmed, or fitted to valve body flanges. Workers often used hand tools, wire brushes, or grinding equipment to seat and surface-prepare gaskets, activities that could disturb the compressed asbestos sheet material and liberate respirable fibers into the surrounding air.

Routine valve maintenance was a primary exposure pathway. Industrial valves in high-pressure service require periodic inspection and repacking of valve stems to maintain sealing integrity. When maintenance workers removed worn or degraded packing material from valve stems, the old asbestos packing—often hardened, cracked, and friable after years of thermal cycling—could release fibers during removal. Scraping, picking, or wire-brushing packing residue from gland areas was commonly performed in enclosed plant environments without respiratory protection during much of the production period covered by these valves.

Gasket replacement during planned turnarounds or emergency repairs required workers to break the seal on bolted flange joints. Old gaskets, compressed under years of service pressure and heat, were frequently struck with hammers or scrapers to dislodge them from flange faces. This activity—known in industrial practice as gasket breakout—was recognized in later OSHA guidance as a significant source of short-duration, high-concentration asbestos fiber release.

Bystander exposure was also a documented concern. Pipefitters, operators, instrument technicians, and other plant personnel who worked in proximity to valve maintenance activities could inhale fibers released into shared workspace air, even if they were not directly performing the work on the valve itself.

General industrial workers across power plants, refineries, chemical facilities, and manufacturing installations where Yarway Henry Vogt control valves were specified and installed represent the primary affected trades identified in connection with these products.

Litigation History

Henry Vogt control valves manufactured by Yarway and containing asbestos gaskets are a Tier 2 litigated product for which no dedicated asbestos bankruptcy trust fund currently exists. Legal recourse for individuals harmed by exposure to these products has proceeded through civil litigation in state and federal courts.

Litigation records document claims filed by industrial workers and their survivors alleging asbestos-related disease resulting from occupational contact with Henry Vogt control valves and their asbestos-containing gasket and packing components. Plaintiffs alleged that the manufacturers and distributors of these products knew or should have known of the hazards posed by chrysotile asbestos fibers and failed to adequately warn workers of the risks associated with handling, maintaining, and replacing asbestos-containing valve components.

Plaintiffs alleged injuries including mesothelioma, asbestos-related lung cancer, and asbestosis as a result of repeated occupational exposure occurring during the decades in which these valves were in active industrial service.

Because no dedicated trust fund exists for this product, individuals with documented asbestos-related disease and a credible exposure history involving Henry Vogt control valves manufactured by Yarway should consult with an attorney experienced in asbestos litigation to evaluate:

  • Whether a direct civil lawsuit against responsible parties is appropriate given current jurisdictional options
  • Whether exposure to additional asbestos-containing products from other manufacturers may support parallel claims against existing bankruptcy trusts
  • The applicable statute of limitations in the relevant state, which typically begins running from the date of diagnosis rather than date of exposure

Medical documentation of an asbestos-related diagnosis, along with a detailed occupational history identifying the facilities where these valves were encountered, will be critical to supporting any legal claim.

This article is provided for informational and legal reference purposes. It does not constitute legal advice. Individuals with potential asbestos exposure claims should consult a qualified asbestos litigation attorney to evaluate their specific circumstances.