Buffalo Forge Company, headquartered in Buffalo, New York, was a leading manufacturer of industrial forced-draft blowers, ventilation fans, and heating and cooling equipment supplying the US Navy throughout World War II and the Cold War. Buffalo Forge forced-draft blowers were critical components of Navy fireroom operations — supplying combustion air to the boilers under forced draft — and their ventilation and heating equipment served Navy shore facilities and shipboard HVAC systems throughout the era.

Asbestos in Buffalo Forge Blower and HVAC Equipment

Buffalo Forge equipment used in high-temperature applications and at connection points to steam-heated systems used asbestos-containing materials as standard components:

  • Forced-draft blower housing gaskets connecting the blower discharge ductwork to boiler casing air inlets — asbestos sheet gaskets at the blower-to-boiler connections in the high-temperature boiler room environment
  • Blower shaft packing on forced-draft blower shaft seals in high-temperature boiler room applications, using asbestos braided packing in the stuffing box
  • Steam heating coil gaskets in Buffalo Forge air handling units and heat exchangers where steam heating coils were flanged into the unit — asbestos sheet gaskets at steam coil connections
  • High-temperature duct expansion joints at connections between Buffalo Forge blowers and boiler room ductwork, using asbestos cloth or rope packing at the expansion joint

Boiler Room and Forced-Draft Operations

Buffalo Forge forced-draft blowers were central to boiler room operations — the blowers delivered the combustion air supply to the B&W boilers at pressure, and their operation and maintenance was part of the Boiler Tender’s routine duties in the fireroom:

  • Boiler Tenders starting and operating the forced-draft blowers as part of boiler light-off and steaming operations were in the fireroom throughout the high-temperature blower operating environment
  • Blower maintenance — inspection, lubrication, and gasket inspection on forced-draft blowers — was a Boiler Tender maintenance responsibility involving the asbestos-containing gaskets at blower connections
  • Boiler room environment — the fireroom with operating boilers, blowers, and steam lines contained multiple asbestos exposure sources simultaneously

Shore Facility HVAC Applications

Buffalo Forge supplied ventilation and heating equipment to Navy shore installations and industrial facilities, where their equipment was installed in boiler plant HVAC systems and industrial ventilation at naval shipyards, air stations, and other shore commands. Shore installation maintenance personnel working on Buffalo Forge HVAC equipment at older naval facilities encountered asbestos-containing gaskets and expansion joints in the building mechanical systems.

VA Claims

VA presumptive service connection under 38 CFR § 3.309(d) covers asbestos exposure in Navy engineering spaces. Boiler Tenders and other engineering ratings who worked with forced-draft blowers and ventilation equipment in Navy firerooms and have since been diagnosed with mesothelioma, asbestosis, or asbestos-related lung cancer may qualify for VA disability benefits.