Owens Corning Fiberglas Corporation, headquartered in Toledo, Ohio, was best known as a fiberglass manufacturer but also produced asbestos-containing thermal insulation products — pipe covering, insulation blankets, and specialty materials — that were supplied to the US Navy for shipboard pipe insulation applications during the period of widespread asbestos insulation use in naval construction. Owens Corning’s transition from asbestos to fiberglass insulation products in the 1970s positioned it as a supplier on both sides of the asbestos-to-substitute transition.

Asbestos-Containing Owens Corning Products in Navy Service

Owens Corning manufactured asbestos-containing pipe covering and insulation products in the era before its fiberglass product line fully displaced asbestos:

  • Asbestos pipe covering — Owens Corning supplied asbestos pipe covering in standard pipe sizes for use in shipboard steam and hot water pipe insulation applications, competing in the same market as Johns Manville and other insulation manufacturers in Navy supply procurement
  • Asbestos insulation blankets — specialty insulation blankets for irregular surfaces, valve bodies, and equipment insulation containing asbestos fiber for high-temperature thermal performance
  • Combination insulation products — some Owens Corning products combined fiberglass and asbestos fiber in insulation formulations during the transition period

Asbestos-to-Fiberglass Transition Period

Owens Corning’s unique position as a major supplier on both sides of the insulation transition creates a specific documentation challenge: insulators working on Navy ships in the mid-1970s transition period may have worked with both Owens Corning asbestos pipe covering (on older existing insulation being replaced) and Owens Corning fiberglass pipe covering (as the replacement material). The transition created a mixed-material work environment for insulation trades in Navy shipyard and shipboard work.

Owens Corning insulation products were used by insulation contractor trades working at Navy shipyards and aboard Navy vessels — insulation contractors who performed the labor-intensive work of applying, removing, and replacing thermal insulation on shipboard steam systems and equipment. These insulation workers — and ship’s company personnel present during insulation work — were exposed to asbestos fiber from Owens Corning asbestos-containing products during the products’ service life.

Asbestos Trust

Owens Corning filed for bankruptcy in 2000 due to asbestos liability, creating an asbestos personal injury trust for victims of exposure to Owens Corning asbestos products. Veterans and other individuals diagnosed with mesothelioma from exposure to Owens Corning asbestos insulation products may have trust claims available in addition to VA benefits.

VA Claims

VA presumptive service connection under 38 CFR § 3.309(d) covers asbestos exposure from insulation products in Navy engineering plants. Engineering ratings and other personnel who were exposed to Owens Corning asbestos insulation products in Navy applications and have since been diagnosed with mesothelioma may qualify for VA disability benefits.