Millwrights

Millwright Asbestos Exposure
High-risk occupation in industrial maintenance
Risk Level	Very High
PMR (Asbestosis)	Significantly Elevated
Peak Exposure Era	1940-1980
Primary Products	Gaskets, packing, equipment insulation
Work Settings	Power plants, refineries, paper mills
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Millwrights and Mesothelioma: Asbestos Exposure Risks, Compensation & Legal Rights

Executive Summary

Millwrights—skilled tradespeople who install, maintain, repair, and disassemble industrial machinery—experienced significant asbestos exposure through routine contact with equipment insulation, gaskets, packing materials, and brake systems on the heavy machinery they serviced. CDC asbestosis mortality surveillance documented significantly elevated proportionate mortality ratios (PMR) for millwrights, placing them among industrial machinery trades with documented asbestos disease burden. The nature of millwright work required direct handling of asbestos-containing components—removing old gaskets and packing from pumps and valves, cutting new gaskets from asbestos sheet material containing 80-95% asbestos, and working in close proximity to insulated equipment throughout industrial facilities. Millwrights serviced machinery in virtually every industrial setting where asbestos was present, from paper mills and power plants to steel mills and manufacturing facilities. According to Danziger & De Llano, millwrights diagnosed with mesothelioma may pursue compensation through multiple trust funds and litigation.

The cross-industry nature of millwright work created diverse exposure patterns across multiple industrial environments. Millwrights in power plants serviced turbines, pumps, and generators insulated with asbestos materials. Those in paper mills maintained dryer equipment, calender stacks, and processing machinery. Steel mill millwrights worked on rolling mills, furnace equipment, and material handling systems throughout asbestos-laden facilities. Like Machinists, Boilermakers, and Marine Engineering Workers, millwrights encountered asbestos from both the equipment components they handled directly and the insulated environments where they worked. Gasket manufacturers including Garlock and John Crane, and insulation companies including Johns-Manville and Owens-Corning, produced the asbestos-containing materials millwrights routinely handled. Over $30 billion remains available in 60+ active asbestos trust funds, with average settlements for industrial workers ranging from $1-1.4 million.

Key Facts

Key Facts: Millwright Asbestos Exposure

Risk Classification: Very High – CDC documented significantly elevated asbestosis PMR CDC Documentation: Listed among 24 occupations with significantly elevated asbestosis mortality Exposure Pattern: Chronic daily exposure over 20-40 year careers (vs. episodic construction exposure) Peak Exposure Period: 1940-1980, with ongoing maintenance exposure thereafter Primary Exposure Sources: Gaskets (80-95% asbestos), valve packing (80-100%), equipment insulation Cumulative Exposure Estimate: 1,000-10,000+ fiber-days/cm³ over careers Work Settings: Power plants, refineries, paper mills, steel mills, chemical plants Gasket Replacement: Primary exposure task; scraping, cutting, grinding generated 0.5-2 f/cc Key Defendants: Garlock, John Crane, Flowserve, Goulds Pumps, equipment manufacturers Trust Fund Availability: Multiple trusts including Johns-Manville, Garlock, pump manufacturers

What Asbestos Exposure Did Millwrights Face?

Millwrights encountered asbestos through routine maintenance tasks essential to their trade.

Gasket and Packing Replacement (Primary Exposure):

Millwrights' most frequent and hazardous exposure occurred during maintenance requiring gasket replacement:

• Removing Old Gaskets: Scraping compressed asbestos gaskets (80-95% asbestos) from flanges with hand scrapers or wire brushes released friable fibers
• Cutting New Gaskets: Using patterns to cut sheet gasket material generated significant dust; studies show gasket cutting can produce 0.5-2 f/cc concentrations
• Grinding for Precise Fit: Millwrights' work demands tight tolerances; grinding gasket edges created high localized exposures
• Valve Repacking: Removing old asbestos packing (80-100% asbestos) from valve stems and pump shafts released tightly compressed fibers

Insulation Removal for Equipment Access:

To align, repair, or replace machinery, millwrights routinely removed insulation:

• Turbine/Compressor Insulation: Removable blankets (50-80% asbestos) handled multiple times during maintenance cycles
• Pipe Insulation Removal: Cutting away pipe insulation to access couplings, flanges, and supports; studies document 5-15 f/cc during insulation removal
• Boiler Work: Accessing boiler tube sheets, doors, and penetrations required removing asbestos block, blanket, or cement insulation

"Millwrights had a different exposure pattern than construction trades. They weren't on a job for a few months and then moving on—they worked in the same power plant or refinery for decades, handling asbestos gaskets and packing materials every single day. Their cumulative exposure often rivaled insulation workers."

— Rod De Llano, Founding Partner, Danziger & De Llano

Which Asbestos Products Did Millwrights Encounter?

Millwrights worked with numerous asbestos-containing products throughout their careers:

Product Type	Asbestos Content	Manufacturers
Spiral-Wound Gaskets	80-95% asbestos	Garlock, Flexitallic, Lamons
Sheet Gasket Material	80-95% compressed asbestos	Johns Manville, Garlock
Valve Packing	80-100% braided asbestos	Garlock, John Crane, Anchor
Pump Packing	80-100% braided asbestos	Garlock, John Crane, Durametallic
Equipment Insulation Blankets	50-80%	Various manufacturers
Pipe Insulation	15-90%	Johns Manville, Owens-Corning

Where Were Millwrights Most Exposed?

Power Plants: Turbine decks, boiler houses, feedwater systems—all heavily insulated with asbestos and requiring constant millwright maintenance.

Petrochemical Refineries: Crude distillation, catalytic cracking, alkylation units with rotating equipment requiring precision alignment and frequent gasket/packing replacement.

Paper Mills: Pulp digesters, paper machines, dryers requiring precision alignment and frequent maintenance in heavily insulated environments.

Steel Mills: Rolling mills, continuous casters, furnace equipment requiring heavy machinery maintenance.

Chemical Plants: Reactor systems, separations equipment with high-temperature processes requiring millwright precision work.

⚠ Confined Space Exposure: Millwrights frequently worked in turbine enclosures, vessel internals, under elevated equipment, and in trenches housing equipment foundations. These confined spaces concentrated airborne fibers, multiplying exposure levels by 5-10× versus open areas.

What Compensation Can Millwrights Receive?

Millwrights diagnosed with mesothelioma may be entitled to substantial compensation.

Key Defendant Categories:

Gasket Manufacturers:

• Garlock Sealing Technologies: Major defendant; bankruptcy established trust fund
• Flexitallic: Spiral-wound gaskets used throughout process industries
• John Crane Inc.: Valve packing, pump mechanical seals

Pump Manufacturers:

• Flowserve Corporation: Pumps with asbestos packing and gaskets
• Goulds Pumps: Centrifugal pumps requiring asbestos packing replacement

Equipment Manufacturers:

• General Electric: Turbines with asbestos insulation and gaskets
• Westinghouse: Power generation equipment
• Various compressor manufacturers with asbestos-containing components

Applicable Trust Funds:

Over 60 asbestos bankruptcy trusts hold more than $30 billion for victims:

• Johns-Manville Trust – Insulation products, gaskets
• Garlock Sealing Technologies Trust – Gaskets, packing materials
• Owens-Corning Trust – Equipment insulation

"Millwright cases often have excellent documentation because industrial facilities maintain detailed maintenance records. Work orders showing gasket replacement, pump overhauls, and equipment maintenance establish exposure to specific products by specific manufacturers—exactly what we need to build strong claims."

— Paul Danziger, Founding Partner, Danziger & De Llano

How Can Millwrights Document Exposure?

Successful claims require documenting chronic industrial exposure:

Employment Records:

• Work history at power plants, refineries, paper mills
• Job descriptions documenting millwright duties
• Union records for unionized millwrights

Maintenance Documentation:

• Work orders showing gasket and packing replacement
• Equipment maintenance logs
• Shutdown/turnaround records documenting intensive maintenance periods

Product Evidence:

• Gasket specifications showing manufacturers
• Purchasing records for packing materials
• Equipment manuals specifying gasket requirements

✓ Documentation Tip: Millwrights who worked at major industrial facilities should identify the specific plants and maintenance departments. Industrial maintenance records, even decades later, often contain work orders documenting specific gasket and packing products used.

Get Help Today

If you or a loved one worked as a millwright and has been diagnosed with mesothelioma, you may be entitled to significant compensation. The attorneys at Danziger & De Llano have decades of experience representing industrial workers exposed to asbestos.

Don't Wait — Time Limits Apply CDC Documented Significantly Elevated Asbestosis PMR for Millwrights Over $30 BILLION available through asbestos trust funds.

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