Garlock Inc., headquartered in Palmyra, New York, was one of the major US manufacturers of asbestos-containing compressed fiber sheet gaskets, spiral wound metallic gaskets, and valve stem packing for industrial high-temperature and high-pressure steam applications — including the gaskets and packing products used extensively throughout US Navy steam plant engineering systems aboard destroyers, cruisers, aircraft carriers, and submarines. Garlock’s asbestos sheet gasket products (sold under the Garlock brand and under product line designations) contained chrysotile asbestos fiber as the primary sealing reinforcement component, providing the gaskets with heat resistance and compression recovery for high-pressure steam flange sealing. Garlock packing and gasketing products were standard components in US Navy steam plant maintenance throughout the WWII and Cold War steam plant era.

Asbestos in Garlock Gasket and Packing Products

Garlock’s gasket and packing products contained asbestos in multiple formulations:

  • Compressed fiber sheet gaskets — Garlock’s compressed fiber sheet gasket products used asbestos fiber as the primary reinforcing component in the sheet material, cut to fit flange configurations throughout Navy steam system piping. Machinist’s Mates and Boiler Technicians cutting Garlock compressed sheet gaskets to size for flange replacement operations released asbestos fiber from the cut gasket material, with exposure during every valve and flange maintenance evolution
  • Spiral wound gaskets — Garlock’s spiral wound metallic gaskets — used for high-pressure steam flange applications where compressed fiber gaskets were less suitable — used asbestos filler in the spiral wound construction to provide conforming seals under high-pressure steam system conditions
  • Valve stem packing — Garlock’s valve packing products used asbestos fiber in the braided and die-formed packing rings sealing valve stems throughout Navy steam system valve lines. Machinist’s Mates repacking steam system gate valves and globe valves removed deteriorated Garlock packing and installed new packing rings, with both removal and installation creating asbestos fiber from the packing material

Garlock products appeared throughout Navy steam plant engineering:

  • Destroyer steam plants — the steam piping, valve, and flange gasketing throughout Navy destroyer steam plants used Garlock and competitor compressed asbestos sheet gaskets and packing in the 1,200 PSI high-pressure steam systems of Gearing, Forrest Sherman, and subsequent destroyer classes
  • Aircraft carrier engineering — the massive steam plant engineering systems aboard Essex class, Midway class, and Forrestal class carriers used asbestos gasketing products throughout the main and auxiliary steam distribution systems serviced by engineering ratings during normal underway maintenance
  • Submarine steam plants — Gato, Balao, Tench, and early Tang and Barbel class diesel-electric submarines used steam-heated systems requiring asbestos gasketing in the auxiliary steam distribution and crew comfort systems

VA Claims for Veterans Exposed to Garlock Products

VA presumptive service connection under 38 CFR § 3.309(d) covers asbestos exposure from gasket and packing maintenance in Navy steam plant engineering spaces. Machinist’s Mates, Boiler Technicians, and engineering ratings who performed valve and flange maintenance using Garlock asbestos products and have since been diagnosed with mesothelioma, asbestosis, or asbestos-related lung cancer may qualify for VA disability benefits.