Pyrospray — Keene Corporation Spray-Applied Fireproofing

Product Description

Pyrospray was a spray-applied fireproofing material manufactured by Keene Corporation and sold primarily to commercial and industrial construction markets between 1963 and 1970. The product was designed to coat structural steel members — beams, columns, and decking — with a thick, insulating layer that would slow the transfer of heat during a fire and help steel-framed buildings meet fire resistance ratings required by building codes.

Spray-applied fireproofing became a standard feature of mid-century high-rise and industrial construction because it could be applied quickly over complex steel shapes at a fraction of the cost of traditional encasement methods. Pyrospray was among the products that made this application method commercially viable at scale. It was pneumatically sprayed onto bare steel by workers equipped with hoses, nozzles, and mixing equipment, creating a thick, fibrous coating that bonded directly to the metal surface.

Buildings constructed during the 1963–1970 production window — including office towers, schools, hospitals, manufacturing facilities, and public buildings — may retain Pyrospray fireproofing in place today. Where the material remains undisturbed, it may present an ongoing hazard if disturbed during renovation, demolition, or maintenance work.

Asbestos Content

Pyrospray contained chrysotile and/or amosite asbestos as a primary functional ingredient. Asbestos fibers were incorporated into spray-applied fireproofing formulations because they were heat-resistant, durable, lightweight, and capable of forming a fibrous matrix that adhered to structural steel and maintained its insulating properties under extreme temperatures.

Chrysotile (white asbestos) is the most commercially common asbestos variety and was widely used as a binder and insulating fiber in construction products throughout this period. Amosite (brown asbestos), mined primarily in South Africa, was favored in many fireproofing and insulation applications because of its particularly high heat resistance and long, stiff fibers. Products containing amosite are considered to present a serious health risk because amosite fibers — classified as an amphibole asbestos — are associated with elevated rates of mesothelioma, asbestosis, and lung cancer.

Federal regulation of asbestos in spray-applied fireproofing came through the Clean Air Act and, later, the Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act (AHERA), which established identification and management requirements for asbestos-containing materials in schools and other structures. OSHA’s asbestos standards, codified at 29 C.F.R. § 1926.1101 for construction work, identify spray-applied surfacing materials as among the highest-risk categories of asbestos-containing materials because of their tendency to release fibers when disturbed.

How Workers Were Exposed

Workers in multiple construction trades encountered Pyrospray during both original installation and subsequent building work. Exposure pathways were direct and, in many cases, continuous over the course of a workday.

Iron workers prepared and erected the structural steel framework to which Pyrospray was applied. In many construction sequences, fireproofing crews worked in close proximity to ironworkers or in the same floor areas, and residual dust from spray operations settled on surfaces throughout the work zone.

Construction laborers performed the physical mixing and spraying of Pyrospray material. Dry asbestos-containing powder was combined with water at the job site and fed through pneumatic spray equipment. Workers handling dry bags and operating mixing equipment were exposed to concentrated asbestos dust during the mixing process — before the material was wet — and again when overspray dried and was disturbed by foot traffic or equipment movement.

Lathers installed the metal lath and framing systems used to support spray-applied coatings in some applications. Their work required close contact with surfaces that had been coated or were being coated with Pyrospray.

Carpenters worked throughout construction sites during the same phases when fireproofing was being applied. They built formwork, installed blocking, and performed finishing work in areas where Pyrospray had been sprayed, often tracking through areas coated with dried fireproofing material or working near spray operations in progress.

Spray-applied fireproofing is particularly hazardous because the spraying process itself aerosolizes fine fibers. When wet material is forced through a nozzle under pressure, it creates a mist of asbestos-containing particles that can remain suspended in the air of an enclosed or partially enclosed floor. Workers without respiratory protection — standard practice throughout much of the 1963–1970 production period — inhaled these fibers directly.

Beyond the original installation period, workers who entered buildings years or decades later to perform renovation, mechanical work, or demolition also faced exposure when they disturbed intact but friable Pyrospray. Asbestos-containing spray fireproofing is classified as a friable material under AHERA, meaning it can be crumbled by hand pressure, releasing fibers into the air without the application of significant force.

Diseases associated with occupational asbestos exposure — including mesothelioma, lung cancer, asbestosis, and pleural disease — typically have latency periods of 20 to 50 years between first exposure and clinical diagnosis. Workers who handled Pyrospray during the 1960s may be receiving diagnoses today.

Keene Corporation, the manufacturer of Pyrospray, faced extensive asbestos litigation arising from its manufacture and sale of asbestos-containing products including spray-applied fireproofing. As a result of that litigation, the Keene Corporation Asbestos Settlement Trust was established to compensate individuals injured by exposure to Keene Corporation products.

Pyrospray is a named product within the trust’s claim documentation framework. Workers who were exposed to Pyrospray during its manufacture, installation, or disturbance — and who have received a qualifying asbestos-related diagnosis — may be eligible to file a claim with the Keene Corporation Asbestos Settlement Trust.

Eligible claimants typically include workers diagnosed with:

  • Mesothelioma
  • Lung cancer with documented asbestos exposure history
  • Asbestosis
  • Other asbestos-related pleural diseases

Filing eligibility generally requires documentation of exposure to a Keene Corporation product, a confirmed medical diagnosis of an asbestos-related disease, and supporting occupational history connecting the claimant to Pyrospray or another covered product. Spouses and surviving family members of deceased workers may be eligible to file wrongful death or survival claims depending on applicable state law and trust claim procedures.

Trust claims are processed separately from civil litigation, although individuals may have rights under both avenues depending on their circumstances and the availability of other responsible parties. Additional manufacturers of spray-applied fireproofing, as well as building owners, general contractors, and product distributors, have been named in asbestos litigation involving this product category.

Workers, family members, or legal representatives seeking to evaluate a potential claim should consult an attorney experienced in asbestos trust fund submissions and mesothelioma litigation. Statutes of limitations for asbestos claims vary by state and typically run from the date of diagnosis or the date a claimant knew or should have known of the connection between their illness and asbestos exposure.