Steam Turbines with Asbestos Insulation — Westinghouse Electric

Product Description

Westinghouse Electric Corporation was one of the dominant manufacturers of large-scale steam turbines in the United States throughout the twentieth century. These turbines were installed across a wide range of industrial and utility settings, including coal-fired and nuclear power generating stations, petrochemical refineries, steel mills, paper mills, and shipboard propulsion systems operated by the U.S. Navy and commercial shipping interests. Westinghouse turbines converted high-pressure steam into mechanical or electrical energy and were designed to operate continuously under extreme thermal conditions, making thermal insulation an engineering necessity built into their design from the outset.

Steam turbines of this class were substantial, complex machines. A single unit could weigh hundreds of tons and occupy a large portion of a turbine hall or machinery room. They incorporated numerous components — casings, steam chests, inlet valves, exhaust sections, bearing housings, and connecting steam piping — all of which generated or came into contact with high-temperature steam and required thermal management to maintain operational efficiency, protect surrounding equipment, and reduce heat loss. For much of the twentieth century, asbestos-based insulation materials were the industry standard for achieving these goals.

Asbestos Content

The asbestos content associated with Westinghouse steam turbines was not limited to a single material or application. Litigation records document that these machines were insulated with a range of asbestos-containing products applied during original manufacture, installation, and throughout the turbine’s operational life during repair and maintenance cycles.

Plaintiffs alleged that asbestos materials were applied to turbine casings and steam lines in the form of block insulation, blanket insulation, and molded pipe covering — products frequently composed of amosite or chrysotile asbestos, or both. Gaskets at steam flanges, valve bonnets, and other high-pressure connection points were alleged to contain compressed asbestos fiber sheets or spiral-wound asbestos packing. Thermal insulating cements and finishing cements applied to irregular surfaces and joints were also identified in litigation as asbestos-containing.

Litigation records further document that asbestos rope packing and valve stem packing were used throughout the steam system components of Westinghouse turbines. In many industrial settings, the turbine itself formed the centerpiece of a larger steam system, meaning workers in proximity to the unit were also exposed to asbestos-containing insulation on connecting headers, extraction lines, and auxiliary equipment tied directly to Westinghouse turbine installations.

Westinghouse, as an equipment manufacturer, specified insulation systems in engineering and maintenance documentation and, in some instances, supplied insulating materials or directed their installation by contractor and millwright crews. These facts were central to legal arguments establishing manufacturer liability in asbestos litigation.

How Workers Were Exposed

Exposure to asbestos from Westinghouse steam turbines and their associated insulation systems occurred across multiple occupational categories and across the full lifecycle of the equipment — from initial installation through decades of operation, scheduled maintenance, emergency repair, and eventual decommissioning.

Installation workers applied block insulation, lagging, and cement to turbine surfaces during plant construction or turbine commissioning. This work required cutting, sawing, and fitting rigid insulation sections to curved and irregular turbine casings, generating substantial quantities of airborne asbestos dust.

Millwrights and turbine mechanics were among those most consistently documented in litigation records as having been exposed. These workers performed routine maintenance and overhaul of turbines, including the removal and replacement of worn insulation to access internal components. Turbine overhauls — which occurred on periodic schedules and after unplanned outages — required stripping degraded insulation, cleaning residue from casing surfaces, and re-insulating before the unit returned to service. Each phase of this process disturbed asbestos-containing materials.

Pipefitters and steamfitters working on steam lines connected to Westinghouse turbines cut and fitted asbestos pipe insulation, replaced gaskets and valve packing, and performed flange work that disturbed insulation at connection points throughout the steam system. Plaintiffs alleged that this work was frequently performed in close quarters with turbine equipment.

Boilermakers and power plant operators were also identified in litigation records as populations exposed to asbestos during turbine-related work, particularly during planned outages when large portions of insulation were removed for inspection or component replacement.

Shipyard workers, including those at Navy installations and commercial shipyards, were documented as having worked on Westinghouse steam turbines aboard vessels during both new construction and overhaul periods. Confined machinery spaces aboard ships concentrated airborne asbestos fibers, increasing exposure intensity.

In all of these settings, bystander exposure was documented — workers in adjacent trades or areas who were not directly handling insulation materials were nonetheless exposed to fibers released by others working in the same space.

The latency period between asbestos exposure and the development of related diseases — including mesothelioma, asbestosis, and lung cancer — commonly spans decades. Workers exposed to Westinghouse turbine insulation during the mid-twentieth century may only now be developing and receiving diagnoses of asbestos-related conditions.

Documented Trust Fund / Legal Options

Westinghouse Electric Corporation has been a defendant in asbestos litigation for decades. Litigation records document that plaintiffs have named Westinghouse in claims arising from turbine insulation exposure in industrial, utility, and maritime settings. Plaintiffs alleged that Westinghouse knew or should have known of the hazards associated with asbestos insulation on its turbine equipment and failed to provide adequate warnings to workers who would foreseeably encounter those materials during installation, maintenance, and repair.

As of the time of this writing, Westinghouse Electric’s asbestos liability has been the subject of ongoing civil litigation rather than resolution through a dedicated bankruptcy trust fund of the kind established by some other major asbestos defendants. Individuals injured by exposure to asbestos on Westinghouse turbines may pursue civil claims directly through the tort system.

Because asbestos insulation on Westinghouse turbines frequently included products manufactured by other companies — such as insulation block, pipe covering, gasket sheet, and packing materials — injured workers and their families may also have claims against the manufacturers of those specific insulating materials, many of whom have established asbestos bankruptcy trusts. An experienced asbestos attorney can review an individual’s work history and exposure circumstances to identify all potentially responsible parties, including both litigation defendants and trust fund claimants.

Individuals who believe they were exposed to asbestos through work on or near Westinghouse steam turbines and who have received a diagnosis of mesothelioma, lung cancer, asbestosis, or another asbestos-related disease are encouraged to consult with a qualified asbestos litigation attorney. Statutes of limitations apply to asbestos claims and vary by state and claim type; early consultation preserves legal options.