Graco Inc., headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota, manufactures fluid handling equipment — positive displacement pumps, spray systems, and lubrication equipment — for industrial, commercial, and military maintenance applications. Graco fluid handling equipment was used at Navy shipyards and shore facilities for painting operations, lubrication maintenance, and fluid transfer applications. In older equipment specifications, Graco positive displacement pumps and associated fluid handling components used asbestos-containing sealing materials consistent with the pump manufacturing standards of the WWII and Cold War eras.

Asbestos in Older Graco Equipment

Graco fluid handling equipment in older configurations used asbestos-containing sealing materials:

  • Pump packing seals — Graco positive displacement and diaphragm pumps in older designs used asbestos packing in pump stuffing boxes for fluid sealing in higher-temperature and solvent-resistant applications before the transition to PTFE and synthetic pump seals
  • Fluid system gaskets — Graco fluid handling system connections used asbestos-containing gaskets at fitting and connection joints in older equipment specifications
  • Spray system seals — airless spray system components used asbestos-containing sealing materials in some pump and fluid manifold designs in older Graco spray system configurations

Graco equipment was used in Navy shipyard and shore facility maintenance operations:

  • Shipyard painting operations — airless spray painting equipment used in Navy shipyard painting of ships and facilities — applying anti-corrosion coatings, deck coatings, and specialty coatings — used Graco spray equipment with asbestos-containing pump seals in older equipment specifications. Shipyard painters and Navy painting crews operating this equipment were in contact with the pump components during equipment setup and maintenance
  • Lubrication service equipment — Graco lubrication pump equipment used in shipyard and shore facility machinery lubrication service had asbestos-containing sealing materials in older pump designs

VA Claims

VA presumptive service connection under 38 CFR § 3.309(d) covers asbestos exposure from fluid handling equipment maintenance at Navy facilities. Navy personnel who operated or maintained Graco and other fluid handling equipment with asbestos-containing sealing materials at naval shipyards and shore facilities and have since been diagnosed with mesothelioma, asbestosis, or asbestos-related lung cancer may qualify for VA disability benefits.