Grinnell Corporation, headquartered in Providence, Rhode Island, was a major manufacturer of valves, pipe fittings, hangers and supports, and fire protection systems used extensively in US Navy shipboard and shore installation applications. Grinnell products were specified in Navy construction drawings for steam, water, and fire suppression systems across the fleet. Maintenance of Grinnell valves and fire protection equipment required handling asbestos-containing packing, gaskets, and system components throughout the period when such materials were standard in Navy maintenance.

Grinnell Valves and Asbestos Packing

Grinnell gate valves, globe valves, check valves, and associated fittings were installed throughout Navy steam systems aboard ships and at shore facilities. Valve maintenance in steam service required:

  • Valve stem packing in Grinnell valves was asbestos rope packing installed in the stuffing box of each valve to prevent steam leakage — repacked at each maintenance cycle by Machinist’s Mates and Pipefitters using asbestos rope packing drawn from supply
  • Bonnet and body gaskets on Grinnell flanged valves used asbestos spiral-wound or sheet gaskets in high-temperature, high-pressure steam service
  • Valve body insulation on Grinnell steam valves was covered with asbestos block or sectional insulation as part of the overall pipe lagging system applied by insulators during construction and overhaul

Fire Protection Systems and Asbestos

Grinnell Corporation was a leading manufacturer of automatic sprinkler systems and marine fire suppression equipment. Shipboard fire suppression systems using Grinnell components contained asbestos-containing materials in:

  • Sprinkler head gaskets and seals in CO2 and water suppression systems
  • Valve and distribution manifold packing in fire main systems throughout the vessel
  • Piping insulation on fire suppression distribution lines in heated spaces

Shore Installation Applications

Grinnell products were installed in Navy shipyard buildings, drydock facilities, and industrial plant buildings throughout the naval shore establishment. Maintenance workers at shipyards including Norfolk Naval Shipyard, Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, and Philadelphia Naval Shipyard who repacked and serviced Grinnell valves in shipyard facility steam systems encountered asbestos valve packing throughout the asbestos era.

VA Claims for Veterans Exposed to Grinnell Products

VA presumptive service connection under 38 CFR § 3.309(d) covers asbestos exposure aboard Navy vessels and in Navy shore facilities. Veterans who maintained Grinnell valves or fire protection equipment before the early 1980s and have since been diagnosed with mesothelioma, asbestosis, or asbestos-related lung cancer may qualify for VA disability benefits.