B.F. Sturtevant Company, headquartered in Hyde Park, Massachusetts, was a leading manufacturer of centrifugal fans, forced draft blowers, and industrial ventilation equipment in the United States through the mid-twentieth century. Sturtevant forced draft blowers were installed in Navy boiler rooms aboard destroyers, cruisers, and carriers to supply combustion air to the boiler burners, with the blowers operating continuously during steaming operations. According to asbestos litigation records, Sturtevant blower and fan housings incorporated asbestos-containing compressed gasket materials at housing flange joints and casing cover connections, creating exposure for Boiler Tenders and engineering personnel who performed blower maintenance in naval vessel boiler rooms and engineering spaces.

Company History

B.F. Sturtevant Company was founded in 1883 and grew into one of the nation’s foremost manufacturers of centrifugal air-moving equipment. The company supplied forced draft blowers to the United States Navy for installation in boiler rooms aboard surface warships through World War II and the postwar fleet buildup, with Sturtevant blowers providing combustion air supply to fire-tube and water-tube boilers aboard Navy destroyers, destroyer escorts, cruisers, and carriers.

Sturtevant blower housings were assembled with asbestos-containing compressed sheet gasket materials at the housing casing joints and flange connections, consistent with the gasket material specifications used throughout Navy boiler room machinery of the mid-twentieth century. Boiler Tenders performing blower maintenance — removing casing covers for internal inspection, bearing replacement, or impeller inspection — encountered the asbestos-containing gasket materials at the casing cover joints during each maintenance access.

Asbestos-Containing Products

According to asbestos litigation records, Sturtevant forced draft blower and fan assemblies incorporated asbestos-containing materials at casing and housing joint interfaces.

Forced Draft Blower Housing Gaskets

Plaintiffs alleged in asbestos lawsuits that Sturtevant forced draft blower housings incorporated asbestos-containing compressed gasket materials at the blower casing cover joints and housing flange connections. Boiler Tenders removing blower casing covers for bearing inspection, impeller inspection, or internal blower maintenance encountered and disturbed the asbestos-containing gasket material at the casing cover joint face during each maintenance operation. Boiler room confined spaces concentrated asbestos fiber released during blower casing cover gasket removal.

Ventilation Fan Casing Gaskets

Sturtevant centrifugal ventilation fans installed in engineering spaces and machinery compartments incorporated asbestos-containing compressed gasket materials at fan casing cover joints. Maintenance personnel performing fan maintenance in naval vessel engineering spaces encountered asbestos gasket materials at fan casing joints.

Occupational Exposure

Navy Boiler Tenders

The primary exposure population for Sturtevant forced draft blower asbestos materials consists of Navy Boiler Tenders who performed forced draft blower maintenance in naval vessel boiler rooms. According to asbestos litigation records, Boiler Tenders working in Navy boiler rooms stood watches and performed maintenance in continuous proximity to Sturtevant forced draft blowers during boiler steaming operations, with direct handling exposure during blower maintenance.

Naval Shipyard Workers

Shipyard workers performing overhaul and repair of Navy blower equipment at naval shipyards accessed Sturtevant blower housings for bearing replacement and internal inspection during ship overhaul availabilities, encountering asbestos-containing gasket materials during blower housing maintenance.

B.F. Sturtevant Company has been named as a defendant in asbestos personal injury litigation brought by Navy veterans and industrial workers who performed maintenance on Sturtevant forced draft blower and fan installations. No asbestos bankruptcy trust fund has been established for B.F. Sturtevant. Workers and families with Sturtevant-related asbestos claims must pursue compensation through the civil litigation system.

If you or a family member developed mesothelioma, lung cancer, or asbestosis after performing maintenance on Sturtevant forced draft blowers or ventilation fans aboard Navy vessels or in industrial settings:

  • No bankruptcy trust exists for B.F. Sturtevant. Claims require civil litigation.
  • Maritime claimants — Navy Boiler Tenders and shipyard workers — may have options under admiralty and maritime law.
  • Multiple defendants are typically named; other manufacturers of insulation and gasket materials installed in Sturtevant blower installations may have asbestos bankruptcy trusts.
  • Work history documentation — vessel service records, rating, and engineering watch assignments — can establish forced draft blower maintenance duties.