Warren Steam Pump Company, headquartered in Warren, Massachusetts, was a manufacturer of centrifugal pumps, reciprocating pumps, and steam-driven pumps for marine, naval, and industrial applications. Warren supplied the United States Navy with fresh water service pumps, salt water cooling pumps, fire pumps, bilge pumps, ballast pumps, and auxiliary steam-driven pumping equipment for installation throughout naval vessel engineering plants and ship’s service systems. Warren pump products were installed in destroyers, cruisers, carriers, and auxiliary vessels across multiple ship classes throughout the mid-20th century. Warren pump valve stuffing boxes used asbestos-containing braided packing in the pump shaft and valve stem gland assemblies, and Warren pump casing joints used compressed asbestos gaskets between the pump casing halves and at pump suction and discharge flanged connections. Machinist’s Mates and Boiler Tenders maintaining Warren pumps in naval engineering spaces performed pump repacking operations — removing worn packing from pump stuffing boxes and installing new packing — as routine engineering maintenance, with the packing removal and installation operations disturbing asbestos-containing braided packing materials and generating asbestos fiber in the engineering space work area during each repacking evolution.

Pump Stuffing Box Packing Asbestos

Warren pump stuffing box packing incorporated asbestos-containing braided packing:

  • Centrifugal pump shaft packing — Warren centrifugal pumps used in Navy fresh water, salt water, and fire service systems incorporated asbestos-containing braided packing in the pump shaft stuffing boxes, sealing the rotating pump shaft against fluid leakage at the pump casing. Machinist’s Mates repacking Warren centrifugal pumps during routine maintenance removed compressed asbestos packing rings from the pump shaft gland and installed new asbestos packing, with the old packing removal using picks and hooks to extract the compressed asbestos packing material from the stuffing box bore — operations that disturbed the asbestos braided packing and released asbestos fiber at the pump maintenance work area during each repacking job
  • Steam-driven reciprocating pump valve packing — Warren steam-driven reciprocating pumps — used for bilge, ballast, and auxiliary pumping service in naval vessels — incorporated asbestos-containing packing in the pump valve stem stuffing boxes and in the steam end piston rod glands. Boiler Tenders and Machinist’s Mates maintaining Warren steam reciprocating pumps performed packing replacement on both the liquid end valve stems and the steam end piston rods, encountering asbestos braided packing in both stuffing box locations during each maintenance event
  • Fire pump repacking — Warren fire pumps installed in Navy ship firemain systems required periodic repacking of the pump shaft stuffing box as preventive maintenance to maintain firemain pressure integrity. Machinist’s Mates repacking fire pumps in ship engineering spaces removed and replaced asbestos packing in the fire pump shaft gland as part of routine firemain system maintenance

Pump Casing Gasket Asbestos

Warren pump casing and flange joints incorporated asbestos-containing gaskets:

  • Pump casing split-line gaskets — Warren centrifugal pump casings used in Navy service incorporated asbestos-containing compressed gasket materials at the pump casing split-line joint between the upper and lower casing halves, providing liquid-tight sealing on the pump casing assembly. Machinist’s Mates performing pump overhaul requiring casing disassembly removed and replaced the asbestos casing split-line gaskets during the overhaul process
  • Suction and discharge flange gaskets — Warren pump suction and discharge flange connections to ship’s piping used asbestos-containing compressed gasket materials at the flanged piping joints. Engineering ratings separating pump suction and discharge flanges for pump removal or piping maintenance encountered and disturbed asbestos flange gasket materials at the pump connection points

VA Claims for Veterans Exposed to Warren Pump Products

VA presumptive service connection under 38 CFR § 3.309(d) covers asbestos exposure from Navy pump maintenance activities. Machinist’s Mates and Boiler Tenders who repacked and overhauled Warren Steam Pump products in naval vessel engineering spaces and have since been diagnosed with mesothelioma, asbestosis, or asbestos-related lung cancer may qualify for VA disability benefits.