NARCO Asbestos Products — Keene Corporation
Product Description
NARCO was a brand name associated with Keene Corporation, a diversified industrial manufacturer that produced a wide range of construction and industrial materials throughout much of the twentieth century. Under the NARCO label, Keene supplied products across several demanding industrial categories, including floor tile, pipe insulation, refractory materials, spray-applied fireproofing, and valves and steam traps.
These product categories reflect the broad scope of Keene’s industrial reach. Refractory materials were engineered to withstand extreme heat and were used in furnaces, kilns, boilers, and other high-temperature industrial environments. Pipe insulation under the NARCO name was installed throughout industrial facilities to maintain thermal efficiency and protect workers and infrastructure. Spray-applied fireproofing was used in commercial and industrial construction to coat structural steel, protecting buildings from rapid fire spread. Floor tiles bearing the NARCO designation were installed in industrial and commercial settings. Valves and steam traps controlled the flow of steam and fluids in pressurized industrial systems, and their insulation and sealing components were critical to safe operation.
Keene Corporation, which went through various corporate configurations and affiliations over the decades, was named in extensive asbestos litigation as plaintiffs alleged that its NARCO-branded products contained asbestos-containing materials and that the company failed to adequately warn workers of the associated health hazards.
Asbestos Content
Asbestos was widely incorporated into the types of industrial products manufactured under the NARCO brand because of its exceptional properties: resistance to heat, flame, and chemical corrosion, combined with structural flexibility and tensile strength. In the product categories attributed to NARCO, asbestos served distinct functional roles.
In refractory materials, asbestos fibers were often combined with other heat-resistant compounds to create products capable of lining furnaces, incinerators, and industrial ovens. In pipe insulation, asbestos was a primary or contributing component in the insulating matrix that wrapped hot pipes and mechanical systems. Spray-applied fireproofing — one of the most heavily scrutinized asbestos-containing product categories in litigation history — frequently contained significant concentrations of asbestos, which was sprayed directly onto structural steel members in buildings and industrial plants. Floor tiles of this era commonly incorporated asbestos into the vinyl or composite binder to add durability and fire resistance. In valves and steam traps, asbestos-containing packing materials and gaskets provided heat resistance at joints and connection points under high-pressure steam conditions.
Litigation records document allegations that asbestos was present in multiple NARCO product lines and that workers who handled, installed, or worked near these products were exposed to airborne asbestos fibers as a result.
How Workers Were Exposed
Industrial workers across a range of occupations and facilities were potentially exposed to asbestos through contact with NARCO-branded products. The exposure pathways varied by product type but shared a common mechanism: the disturbance of asbestos-containing materials that released respirable fibers into the surrounding air.
Refractory workers and furnace installers who cut, mixed, applied, or removed NARCO refractory materials in steel mills, foundries, glass plants, and chemical facilities worked in environments where airborne asbestos fiber concentrations could reach hazardous levels, particularly during installation and demolition phases.
Pipefitters, steamfitters, and insulators who handled NARCO pipe insulation were exposed during both the application of new insulation and the removal of old, deteriorating material — a process known as “rip-out,” which is documented in occupational health literature as particularly hazardous because degraded asbestos insulation releases fibers readily when disturbed.
Construction workers and ironworkers present during the spray application of NARCO fireproofing materials faced potential exposure from the overspray generated during application, which could settle on workers, tools, and surrounding surfaces throughout a work site.
Floor tile installers and maintenance workers who cut, sanded, or removed NARCO floor tiles — or who worked in proximity to such activities — could have been exposed when the tile material was mechanically disturbed.
Maintenance workers and valve technicians who repacked valves and steam traps or replaced gaskets in industrial piping systems were exposed when asbestos-containing packing materials were removed or cut to size.
Litigation records document that industrial workers generally — including those employed in manufacturing facilities, power plants, shipyards, and commercial construction — were among the populations exposed to NARCO products during their working years. Many of these workers were not informed that the materials they handled contained asbestos and were not provided with respiratory protection adequate to prevent inhalation of asbestos fibers.
Diseases associated with occupational asbestos exposure include mesothelioma, a rare and aggressive cancer of the lining of the lungs, abdomen, or heart; asbestosis, a progressive scarring of lung tissue; lung cancer; and other asbestos-related pleural diseases. These conditions typically have latency periods of twenty to fifty years from the time of first exposure, meaning that workers exposed to NARCO products decades ago may only now be receiving diagnoses.
Documented Trust Fund / Legal Options
Keene Corporation faced substantial asbestos-related litigation as a result of its industrial product lines, including those marketed under the NARCO brand name. Plaintiffs alleged in litigation that Keene knew or should have known of the hazards posed by asbestos-containing materials in its products and failed to warn users and installers of those risks.
This product falls under Tier 2 — Litigated status. There is no confirmed active asbestos bankruptcy trust fund specifically established for NARCO or Keene Corporation claims available for straightforward filing in the manner of some other major asbestos defendants. Litigation records document that claims against Keene and its affiliated entities have proceeded through the civil court system.
Individuals diagnosed with mesothelioma, asbestosis, lung cancer, or other asbestos-related diseases who worked with or around NARCO-branded products may have legal options including:
- Civil asbestos litigation filed in state or federal court against responsible parties in the chain of manufacture, supply, and distribution
- Claims against other solvent asbestos defendants whose products were used alongside NARCO materials at the same job sites
- Claims against established asbestos bankruptcy trusts maintained by other manufacturers whose products were also present at the same worksites — many asbestos victims have claims against multiple companies and multiple trust funds simultaneously
Workers and their families should consult an attorney with documented experience in asbestos litigation to evaluate all potential sources of compensation based on work history, product exposure records, and medical diagnosis. Statutes of limitations apply to asbestos claims and vary by state, making timely legal consultation important for preserving legal rights.
This article is provided for informational and reference purposes. It does not constitute legal advice. Individuals seeking legal assistance regarding asbestos-related illness should consult a qualified attorney.