Narcogun CRD-347 Spray Fireproofing

Product Description

Narcogun CRD-347 was a spray-applied fireproofing material manufactured by Narco and produced during the period spanning 1965 through 1975. Products in this category were developed to meet the construction and industrial sectors’ increasing demand for passive fire protection systems capable of safeguarding structural steel and other building components from heat damage in the event of a fire. Spray-applied fireproofing became a dominant method during the mid-twentieth century because it could be applied quickly over large surface areas, conformed to irregular shapes, and provided a relatively lightweight thermal barrier compared to earlier concrete or masonry encasement techniques.

Narcogun CRD-347 was designed for use in industrial facilities and commercial construction projects where fire resistance ratings were required by building codes or insurance underwriters. The spray application process allowed crews to coat steel beams, columns, decking, and other structural elements efficiently, and the product was marketed as a reliable solution for achieving fire-resistance ratings in demanding industrial environments. Like many spray fireproofing compounds formulated during this era, the product’s performance characteristics were closely tied to the fibrous materials incorporated into its composition.

Asbestos Content

Narcogun CRD-347 contained chrysotile asbestos as a component of its formulation. Chrysotile, sometimes referred to as white asbestos, is a serpentine-form mineral fiber that was widely used in spray-applied fireproofing products during the 1960s and early 1970s because of its heat resistance, tensile strength, and binding properties. When incorporated into a spray-applied mixture, chrysotile fibers created a dense, cohesive mat that adhered to structural surfaces and resisted thermal degradation.

Although chrysotile is considered by regulatory agencies to be somewhat less biopersistent in lung tissue than the amphibole varieties of asbestos, it is nonetheless classified as a known human carcinogen. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) under the Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act (AHERA) and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) both recognize that no safe level of chrysotile exposure has been established. OSHA’s current permissible exposure limit (PEL) for asbestos is 0.1 fibers per cubic centimeter of air as an eight-hour time-weighted average, a standard that did not exist when Narcogun CRD-347 was being actively applied in the field.

During the production years of 1965 to 1975, regulatory controls on asbestos in the workplace were limited or nonexistent, and workers handling spray fireproofing materials had little or no information about the health hazards posed by the mineral fibers they were routinely disturbing. Litigation records document that manufacturers and distributors of asbestos-containing spray fireproofing products had access to internal research and published scientific literature identifying the health risks of asbestos inhalation well before public disclosure became standard practice.

How Workers Were Exposed

The primary route of occupational exposure associated with Narcogun CRD-347 was inhalation of airborne asbestos fibers released during the spray application process. Industrial workers generally were at risk wherever this product was applied or disturbed, including workers employed at industrial plants, refineries, power generation facilities, manufacturing complexes, and other large-scale construction sites.

During spray application, the dry mixture was loaded into hopper-fed equipment and combined with water or a binder before being propelled at high velocity onto target surfaces. This process generated visible clouds of dust and aerosolized fiber, and workers operating the spray equipment, handling the dry product bags, or working in the vicinity of active spraying were exposed to elevated concentrations of airborne chrysotile fibers. Enclosed or poorly ventilated spaces, which were common in industrial construction settings, significantly increased fiber concentrations in the breathing zone.

Exposure was not limited to the original application crews. Once the spray-applied coating was in place, it remained a source of ongoing fiber release whenever it was disturbed. Workers involved in renovation, maintenance, or demolition activities at facilities where Narcogun CRD-347 had been applied could disturb the dried material, releasing fibers that had been bound in the matrix for years or decades. Drilling, cutting, sanding, and removal of fireproofed structural members all created secondary exposure events that could affect tradespeople and general laborers who had no direct involvement in the original installation.

Plaintiffs alleged in litigation that the dusty nature of spray fireproofing work, combined with the absence of effective respiratory protection and the failure of manufacturers to warn workers about asbestos hazards, resulted in prolonged and uncontrolled fiber inhalation over the course of their working lives. Litigation records document that bystander exposure — affecting workers in adjacent areas who were not directly handling the product — was also a recognized and documented pathway for fiber inhalation at worksites where spray fireproofing was being actively applied.

The latency period associated with asbestos-related diseases means that individuals exposed to Narcogun CRD-347 during its production years of 1965 to 1975 may not have received a diagnosis until decades later. Asbestos-related conditions including mesothelioma, asbestos-related lung cancer, asbestosis, and pleural disease typically have latency periods ranging from ten to fifty years following first exposure.

Documented Trust Fund / Legal Options

Narcogun CRD-347 is a Tier 2 product for purposes of asbestos litigation and compensation. No dedicated asbestos bankruptcy trust fund has been established by Narco that would permit direct trust fund claims specifically tied to this product. Individuals injured by exposure to Narcogun CRD-347 who seek compensation must pursue their claims through the civil litigation system rather than through an administrative trust claim process.

Litigation records document that claims arising from spray-applied asbestos fireproofing products have been pursued in courts across multiple jurisdictions. Plaintiffs alleged that manufacturers of asbestos-containing spray fireproofing compounds had a duty to warn end users and downstream workers about the hazardous nature of the materials and failed to fulfill that duty throughout the period when products like Narcogun CRD-347 were being marketed and sold.

In addition to direct claims against the manufacturer, individuals exposed to Narcogun CRD-347 may have claims against other parties in the distribution and installation chain, including contractors who specified or applied the product, property owners who permitted its use without adequate protective measures, and other manufacturers whose asbestos-containing products were used concurrently at the same worksites. Litigation records document that multi-defendant cases involving spray fireproofing products frequently name a range of parties whose products contributed to a plaintiff’s overall asbestos exposure history.

Industrial workers generally who believe they were exposed to Narcogun CRD-347 during its production years, or during later disturbance activities, are encouraged to consult with an attorney experienced in asbestos litigation. Documentation supporting a potential claim may include employment records, union records, site photographs, product identification documents, and testimony from former coworkers or supervisors with knowledge of the specific products used at a given worksite. An experienced asbestos attorney can evaluate the full scope of a claimant’s work history and exposure record to identify all potentially viable defendants and legal avenues for recovery.