Leslie Controls, Inc. was a manufacturer of control valves, pressure regulating valves, and steam system control equipment supplied to the United States Navy for use aboard warships and naval vessels. Leslie Controls’ products — used to regulate steam pressure, temperature, and flow throughout ship propulsion and auxiliary steam systems — incorporated asbestos gaskets, asbestos packing, and asbestos insulation as standard components. Leslie Controls products are documented in the publicly filed asbestos litigation corpus alongside Crane Co. and Goulds Pumps as vendors of asbestos-containing products on Navy ships, with formal documentation of Leslie Controls’ knowledge of the asbestos content of its products, and with documentation of Leslie Controls’ presence aboard specific Navy vessel classes including CL-55 class cruisers.

Documented Asbestos in Leslie Controls Navy Products

Vendor of Asbestos-Containing Products on Navy Ships

United States Navy — Formal Documentation of Leslie Controls

Leslie Controls — Knowledge of Asbestos in Products

Exposure Pathways for Leslie Controls Products

Valve repacking: Machinist’s Mates and Boiler Technicians replaced asbestos stem packing in Leslie Controls pressure regulating valves during routine maintenance. Removing compressed asbestos packing from valve stuffing boxes — scraping the old packing material from the valve body — released asbestos fiber directly into the worker’s breathing zone.

Bonnet gasket replacement: Leslie Controls valve bonnet gaskets — asbestos-containing flat gaskets sealing the valve body cover — were replaced during valve overhaul. Cutting, fitting, and torquing asbestos gaskets on Leslie Controls valve bonnets exposed mechanics to asbestos fiber.

Adjacent work: Shipyard pipefitters and Navy personnel working in engineering spaces adjacent to Leslie Controls valve installations were exposed to asbestos dust disturbed by nearby valve maintenance activity.

VA Claims and Legal Options — Leslie Controls

Navy veterans who serviced Leslie Controls pressure regulation valves or worked in spaces where Leslie Controls valves were being maintained, and who subsequently developed mesothelioma, asbestos-related lung cancer, asbestosis, or pleural disease, may qualify for:

  • VA service connection under VA asbestos-claim guidance for veterans with engineering ratings (MM, BT, MR) documenting valve maintenance work during Navy service
  • Civil claims against Leslie Controls successors based on documented failure to warn about asbestos in valve packing and gasket components

Key documents:

  • DD-214 or service records — documenting MM, BT, or MR rating and ship assignments aboard CL-55 class or other vessels using Leslie Controls valves
  • Diagnosis — mesothelioma, asbestos-related lung cancer, asbestosis, or pleural disease

Free, confidential case evaluation: Speak with O’Brien Law Firm — (314) 936-2956

All consultations are free. No fee unless a financial recovery is made on your behalf.

Documented asbestos exposure information derived from publicly filed asbestos litigation records. This does not constitute legal or medical advice.