Pyrospray Asbestos Spray Fireproofing

Pyrospray was a spray-applied fireproofing product manufactured by Keene Corporation and sold during the 1960s. Like many spray fireproofing materials produced during that era, Pyrospray contained chrysotile asbestos as a primary component of its fire-resistant formulation. Workers who applied, disturbed, or worked in proximity to Pyrospray during its production years faced significant asbestos exposure risks. Litigation records document claims brought by industrial workers who alleged serious asbestos-related illnesses resulting from contact with this product.

Product Description

Pyrospray was produced by Keene Corporation between approximately 1963 and 1970, placing it squarely within a period when spray-applied asbestos fireproofing was widely used across industrial and commercial construction in the United States. The product was designed to be mixed with water and applied using pneumatic spray equipment directly onto structural steel beams, columns, decking, and other building components requiring passive fire protection.

Spray-applied fireproofing of this type was considered a cost-effective and efficient method for meeting building and fire codes that required structural steel to maintain its load-bearing integrity under high-temperature conditions. When applied to steel, Pyrospray created an insulating layer intended to slow heat transfer and delay structural failure in the event of a fire. Products in this category were adopted widely in industrial facilities, manufacturing plants, power generation sites, warehouses, and similar heavy-use structures throughout the 1960s.

Keene Corporation was an industrial manufacturer with involvement in multiple product lines that have since been associated with asbestos litigation. Pyrospray represents one of the company’s entries into the fireproofing market during the peak years of asbestos-containing construction product manufacturing in the United States.

Asbestos Content

Pyrospray contained chrysotile asbestos, the most commonly used form of asbestos in commercial manufacturing during the twentieth century. Chrysotile, sometimes referred to as white asbestos, belongs to the serpentine mineral group and was valued by manufacturers for its flexible, fine fiber structure, which made it well suited for spray application and contributed to its bonding and insulating properties within fireproofing formulations.

Despite its widespread use, chrysotile asbestos is classified as a known human carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) and is regulated under OSHA’s asbestos standards (29 CFR 1910.1001 and 29 CFR 1926.1101). There is no established safe level of occupational asbestos exposure recognized under current regulatory science. Inhalation of chrysotile fibers has been linked in medical and epidemiological literature to mesothelioma, asbestos-related lung cancer, asbestosis, and other serious pulmonary diseases. These conditions typically have latency periods spanning decades between initial exposure and clinical diagnosis, meaning workers exposed to Pyrospray during the 1960s may not have experienced symptoms until the 1980s, 1990s, or later.

The presence of asbestos in spray fireproofing products like Pyrospray was not unique to Keene Corporation’s formulation. However, the specific fiber loading, particle size distribution, and application characteristics of any given product influenced the intensity and character of exposure events workers experienced on the job.

How Workers Were Exposed

Industrial workers represent the primary exposure population documented in connection with Pyrospray. Litigation records document accounts from workers in manufacturing plants, refineries, power stations, and other heavy industrial settings where Pyrospray was applied as a structural fire protection coating.

Asbestos exposure from spray-applied fireproofing products like Pyrospray occurred through several distinct mechanisms. During the application phase, workers operating pneumatic spray equipment generated substantial quantities of airborne asbestos-containing dust. The act of mixing dry Pyrospray material with water, loading the equipment hoppers, and directing the spray nozzle all created conditions for significant fiber release into the surrounding air. Workers in the vicinity of active spraying, whether directly involved in application or performing other trades in the same work area, could be exposed to elevated airborne fiber concentrations.

Beyond the initial application, Pyrospray posed ongoing exposure risks throughout the life of the buildings where it was installed. Workers performing maintenance, renovation, or demolition activities in structures coated with Pyrospray could disturb the cured fireproofing material and release trapped asbestos fibers. Drilling through steel beams, cutting conduit near fireproofed surfaces, performing overhead work that dislodged dried coating, or conducting any activity that damaged the hardened Pyrospray layer could generate hazardous dust. Industrial workers in particular—who may have performed maintenance tasks, equipment installation, or repair work in fireproofed facilities over many years—faced repeated, cumulative exposure episodes of this kind.

Plaintiffs alleged in civil litigation that Keene Corporation was aware of the hazards associated with asbestos-containing products and failed to provide adequate warnings to workers who would encounter Pyrospray during application and subsequent building activities. Plaintiffs further alleged that this failure to warn contributed directly to occupational asbestos diseases diagnosed years after the exposure occurred. Litigation records document that industrial workers and their families pursued compensation through the civil court system on the basis of these claims.

Documented Trust Fund / Legal Options

Pyrospray is classified as a Tier 2 — Litigated product. There is no established asbestos bankruptcy trust fund associated with Keene Corporation and Pyrospray specifically available to compensate claimants through an administrative trust process in the manner available for products tied to bankrupt asbestos defendants.

Individuals who were exposed to Pyrospray and have since been diagnosed with mesothelioma, asbestos-related lung cancer, asbestosis, or another confirmed asbestos-related disease should consult with a qualified asbestos litigation attorney to evaluate their legal options. Litigation records document that civil lawsuits have been filed against Keene Corporation in connection with asbestos-containing products including spray fireproofing materials, and plaintiffs alleged personal injury and wrongful death on the basis of occupational exposure.

An experienced attorney can help determine:

  • Whether an individual’s occupational history and medical diagnosis support an asbestos personal injury claim
  • Which defendants may be liable based on documented product use at specific worksites
  • Whether any related bankruptcy trust funds from other manufacturers involved in the same construction projects may provide additional compensation avenues
  • Applicable statutes of limitations, which vary by state and typically begin running from the date of diagnosis rather than the date of exposure

Workers who handled or worked around Pyrospray during its production years of 1963 through 1970, as well as those who later disturbed installed Pyrospray in industrial settings, may have standing to pursue compensation depending on their specific diagnosis and exposure history. Family members of deceased workers may have standing to pursue wrongful death claims where applicable.

This article is provided for informational reference purposes. It is not legal advice. Individuals seeking guidance about asbestos-related legal claims should consult a licensed attorney.