Griscom-Russell Company, headquartered in Massillon, Ohio, was a major manufacturer of shell-and-tube heat exchangers, lube oil coolers, fuel oil heaters, and feed water heaters for industrial and marine applications throughout the mid-twentieth century. Griscom-Russell heat exchangers were installed throughout United States Navy vessel engineering plants — in lube oil cooling systems, fuel oil heating systems, feed water heating systems, and seawater-cooled auxiliary systems aboard destroyers, cruisers, carriers, and auxiliary vessels. According to asbestos litigation records, Griscom-Russell heat exchanger and cooler assemblies incorporated asbestos-containing compressed gasket materials at channel cover flanges and shell-side bonnet cover joints, creating exposure for Machinist’s Mates, Boiler Tenders, and engineering personnel who performed heat exchanger maintenance in naval vessel engineering spaces.

Company History

Griscom-Russell Company specialized in the design and manufacture of shell-and-tube heat transfer equipment for demanding industrial and marine service applications. The company supplied the United States Navy with heat exchangers and coolers for installation across the engineering plant — lube oil coolers for main engine and reduction gear lubrication systems, fuel oil heaters for heavy fuel oil viscosity reduction, feed water heaters for boiler feed systems, and seawater-cooled auxiliary system coolers aboard surface combatants and auxiliary vessels.

Griscom-Russell heat exchangers were assembled with asbestos-containing compressed sheet gasket materials at the channel cover flanges and bonnet cover joints where the tube bundles were accessed for inspection and cleaning. Machinist’s Mates and Boiler Tenders performing heat exchanger maintenance — pulling channel covers for tube bundle inspection, cleaning, or plugging of failed tubes — encountered the asbestos-containing gasket material at the channel cover flanges during each maintenance access.

Asbestos-Containing Products

According to asbestos litigation records, Griscom-Russell heat exchanger assemblies incorporated asbestos-containing materials at shell and channel flange joint interfaces.

Heat Exchanger Channel Cover Gaskets

Plaintiffs alleged in asbestos lawsuits that Griscom-Russell shell-and-tube heat exchangers incorporated asbestos-containing compressed gasket materials at the channel cover flange joints. Engineering personnel removing channel covers for tube bundle inspection, tube cleaning, or tube plugging encountered and disturbed the asbestos-containing compressed gasket at the channel cover flange face during each cover removal operation.

Lube Oil Cooler Bonnet Gaskets

Griscom-Russell lube oil coolers incorporated asbestos-containing compressed gasket materials at the cooler bonnet cover joints. Machinist’s Mates performing lube oil cooler maintenance in main machinery spaces — removing bonnet covers for tube bundle inspection or tube cleaning — encountered asbestos gasket materials at the bonnet cover joint faces during cooler maintenance.

Feed Water Heater Shell Flange Gaskets

Griscom-Russell feed water heaters incorporated asbestos-containing compressed gasket materials at shell flange connections and bonnet joints. Boiler Tenders and Machinist’s Mates maintaining feed water heater systems encountered asbestos gasket materials at shell flange connections during heater maintenance and inspection.

Occupational Exposure

Navy Engineering Personnel

The primary exposure population for Griscom-Russell heat exchanger asbestos materials consists of Navy Machinist’s Mates and Boiler Tenders who performed heat exchanger maintenance in naval vessel engineering spaces. According to asbestos litigation records, heat exchanger maintenance in naval vessels was performed in the confined engineering spaces where the heat exchangers were installed, concentrating asbestos fibers released during channel cover and bonnet gasket removal.

Naval Shipyard Workers

Shipyard workers performing heat exchanger overhaul and tube bundle replacement at naval shipyards encountered asbestos-containing gasket materials at Griscom-Russell channel cover flanges and shell connections during heat exchanger overhaul operations.

Griscom-Russell Company has been named as a defendant in asbestos personal injury litigation brought by Navy veterans and industrial workers who performed maintenance on Griscom-Russell heat exchangers and cooler installations. No asbestos bankruptcy trust fund has been established for Griscom-Russell Company. Workers and families with Griscom-Russell-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 Griscom-Russell heat exchangers, lube oil coolers, or fuel oil heaters aboard Navy vessels or in industrial facilities:

  • No bankruptcy trust exists for Griscom-Russell. Claims require civil litigation.
  • Maritime claimants — Navy veterans 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 Griscom-Russell heat exchanger systems may have asbestos bankruptcy trusts.
  • Vessel service records and rating documentation can establish heat exchanger maintenance duties and exposure to Griscom-Russell equipment asbestos materials.