Monospray — Keene Corporation Asbestos Spray Fireproofing

Product Description

Monospray was a spray-applied fireproofing product manufactured by Keene Corporation and sold primarily between 1963 and 1970. The product was designed to meet fire-resistance requirements for structural steel and metal decking in commercial and industrial construction, where building codes and insurance standards demanded that load-bearing steel be protected against heat-induced failure. Spray-applied fireproofing of this type became a standard feature of high-rise buildings, warehouses, schools, hospitals, and other large structures constructed during the postwar building boom.

Keene Corporation marketed Monospray as a cost-effective alternative to traditional fireproofing methods such as encasement in concrete or application of ceramic tile. Like many spray fireproofing products of its era, Monospray was applied directly to structural members using pneumatic spray equipment, allowing crews to coat large quantities of steel quickly and at relatively low cost. This efficiency made the product attractive to general contractors working under tight construction schedules, and it was used extensively across the United States during the 1960s.

The product sat within a broader category of spray-applied fireproofing materials that regulators and researchers would later identify as a primary source of asbestos exposure in the construction trades. Buildings constructed with Monospray and similar products represent a continuing legacy hazard, because damaged or deteriorating spray fireproofing can release asbestos fibers decades after original installation.

Asbestos Content

Monospray contained chrysotile asbestos as a primary component. Chrysotile, sometimes called white asbestos, was widely used in spray fireproofing formulations during the 1960s because its fibrous structure provided both thermal insulation and tensile reinforcement within the sprayed matrix. When mixed with binders and other ingredients and applied by spray equipment, chrysotile asbestos bonded to the surface of structural steel and metal decking, forming a textured, insulating coating.

The use of asbestos in spray-applied fireproofing was not incidental — the mineral was integral to the product’s performance characteristics. Keene Corporation’s use of chrysotile in Monospray was consistent with industry practice during the period of manufacture, and the product was sold and applied at a time when the health consequences of chrysotile fiber inhalation were known within scientific and industrial hygiene communities but were not routinely communicated to the workers handling these materials on job sites.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency later identified spray-applied asbestos fireproofing as one of the most hazardous asbestos-containing materials in buildings, in part because it is a friable material — meaning it can be crumbled by hand pressure — and releases fibers readily when disturbed. AHERA regulations governing asbestos inspection and management in school buildings specifically address friable spray-applied surfacing materials, and the standards developed under AHERA reflect the recognized hazard associated with products like Monospray.

How Workers Were Exposed

Workers in multiple construction trades faced direct exposure to Monospray during its manufacture, application, and in subsequent building work where the installed product was disturbed.

Iron workers who erected structural steel frames and metal decking frequently worked in close proximity to spray fireproofing operations. On active construction sites, spray application often occurred while other trades were still working in the same areas, and iron workers handling freshly erected steel sometimes worked directly alongside or beneath spray crews.

Construction laborers were among the most directly exposed. Laborers performed general support work on spray fireproofing crews, including mixing materials, moving equipment, and cleaning up overspray. They worked at close range during application and were exposed to the visible dust and fiber clouds generated when Monospray was sprayed onto structural surfaces.

Lathers installed the metal furring, channels, and lath systems used to support plaster and drywall assemblies throughout the same structures receiving spray fireproofing. Their work required them to drill, cut, and fasten metal components in areas where Monospray had been applied or was actively being applied, generating additional fiber release.

Building maintenance workers faced a distinct and ongoing exposure risk that extended well beyond the original construction period. Workers performing routine maintenance, repairs, or renovations in buildings where Monospray was installed could disturb the spray-applied coating during drilling, cutting, pipe work, or any activity that required penetrating or disturbing the ceiling or structural steel assembly. Because Monospray is a friable material, even incidental contact during maintenance activities could release chrysotile fibers into the breathing zone of workers who had no awareness that asbestos was present.

Exposure in all of these categories was typically uncontrolled during the years Monospray was produced and applied. Respiratory protection was not standard practice, and industrial hygiene procedures specific to asbestos were not required on construction sites until OSHA asbestos standards were developed in subsequent decades.

Keene Corporation faced extensive asbestos-related litigation arising from Monospray and other asbestos-containing products it manufactured. The volume and cost of that litigation contributed to the company’s financial reorganization, and the Keene Corporation Asbestos Settlement Trust was established to resolve asbestos personal injury claims against the company.

The Keene Corporation Asbestos Settlement Trust is an active trust fund that accepts claims from individuals who were exposed to asbestos-containing products manufactured or sold by Keene Corporation, including Monospray. Claimants who can document exposure to Monospray during the trust’s covered periods are eligible to file claims for compensation.

Eligible claim categories typically include mesothelioma, lung cancer, other asbestos-related cancers, and nonmalignant asbestos-related diseases such as asbestosis and pleural disease. The trust evaluates claims based on documented exposure history, medical diagnosis, and compliance with trust distribution procedures established at the time of the trust’s formation.

To file a claim with the Keene Corporation Asbestos Settlement Trust, claimants or their legal representatives generally must provide:

  • A confirmed medical diagnosis of an asbestos-related disease
  • Evidence of occupational exposure to Monospray or other covered Keene Corporation products
  • Work history documentation establishing job sites, employers, and trades during relevant exposure periods

Workers in the trades documented above — iron workers, construction laborers, lathers, and building maintenance workers — who received a diagnosis of mesothelioma, lung cancer, asbestosis, or related disease should seek evaluation from an attorney experienced in asbestos trust fund claims. Co-exposures to asbestos products from other manufacturers are common in construction settings, and claims against multiple trusts or defendants may be available concurrently.

Individuals diagnosed with mesothelioma or other asbestos-related diseases after exposure to Monospray should be aware that statutes of limitations apply to trust claims and potential litigation, and that prompt legal consultation is advisable following any diagnosis.