Sprinkmann Sons Corporation, based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, was an industrial insulation contractor that performed asbestos insulation work on Navy vessels and at industrial and naval facilities in the Great Lakes region. Sprinkmann Sons insulators worked aboard ships under construction or repair at Great Lakes-area shipyards and at Navy shore installations, applying asbestos pipe covering, asbestos block insulation, and asbestos lagging materials on Navy steam system piping, boiler insulation, and engineering plant systems. Sprinkmann Sons is among the regional insulation contractors identified in publicly filed asbestos litigation records as having performed asbestos insulation work on Navy vessels.

Asbestos Insulation Work on Navy Vessels

Sprinkmann Sons performed asbestos insulation work on Navy ships and shore facilities:

  • Steam piping insulation — Sprinkmann Sons insulators applied asbestos magnesia pipe covering, asbestos block insulation, and asbestos cement finishing compound on steam system piping aboard Navy vessels under construction or in repair at Great Lakes shipyards. The insulation application process — cutting, fitting, and cementing asbestos pipe covering sections — generated high concentrations of airborne asbestos fiber during the installation work
  • Boiler insulation — Sprinkmann Sons insulators applied asbestos boiler lagging and asbestos cement on naval boilers during new construction and during boiler refurbishment overhaul work. The boiler lagging application process involved stripping old lagging and applying new asbestos lagging in the confined boiler room spaces
  • Shore facility steam systems — Sprinkmann Sons performed asbestos insulation work on steam heating and utility systems at naval shore installations and shipyard facilities in the Great Lakes region

Exposure to Navy Ratings

Navy ratings working alongside Sprinkmann Sons and other insulation contractors accumulated secondary asbestos exposure:

  • MM, BT, and other engineering ratings present during insulation work aboard their ships were exposed to airborne asbestos fiber released during the insulation contractor’s pipe covering and lagging work in the engineering spaces
  • Shipyard workers at Great Lakes facilities where Sprinkmann Sons performed insulation work accumulated bystander asbestos exposure during the insulation application operations

VA Claims for Veterans Exposed to Sprinkmann Sons Corporation Products

VA evaluates asbestos-related disability claims on a case-by-case basis. Veterans generally need evidence of in-service asbestos exposure, a current asbestos-related diagnosis, and a medical link between them. Engineering ratings who were present during insulation work by Sprinkmann Sons or other insulation contractors aboard Navy ships and have since been diagnosed with mesothelioma, asbestosis, or asbestos-related lung cancer may qualify for VA disability benefits.