Spray-Applied Fireproofing — Asbestos Exposure Crosswalk

What This Equipment Is

Spray-applied fireproofing is a wet-mix insulating material spray-blown onto structural steel — columns, beams, decks — to delay heat transfer in a fire and meet fire-rating codes. From the late 1940s through the early 1970s, the dominant fireproofing products were asbestos-bearing, mixing chrysotile fiber with cementitious binders and water.

The product was used everywhere a steel structure had to meet a fire rating: commercial office high-rises, hospitals, schools, factories, power plants, refinery process structures, and many industrial mezzanines. EPA’s 1973 ban on spray-applied asbestos fireproofing largely ended new installation, but the legacy material is still present in countless buildings constructed before then.

Why Spray Fireproofing Work Was a High-Exposure Activity

Application generated some of the densest dust clouds of any asbestos product. The dry mix was poured into a hopper, water-mixed at the nozzle, and blown onto the steel through a spray gun under high air pressure. Overspray hung in the air for hours, settled on every surface, and was tracked through the building on workers’ boots. Other trades working in the same building — electricians, ironworkers, plumbers — shared the same dusty space.

Demolition and renovation of buildings with spray-applied fireproofing — particularly cutting or drilling through the steel to install new HVAC, conduit, or sprinkler lines — disturbs the legacy material and re-aerosolizes the fiber decades after original application.

Manufacturers Named in Spray-Fireproofing Litigation

  • U.S. Mineral Products / Cafco — Cafco brand spray fireproofing
  • W.R. Grace — Monokote (early formulations contained asbestos)
  • Asbestospray Corporation — Asbestospray brand
  • National Gypsum — sprayed fireproofing products
  • Keasbey & Mattison — spray products
  • Pittsburgh Corning — sprayed insulation products

Documented Product References

Images sourced from publicly available product-identification reference materials. Inclusion does not constitute a finding of liability against any company.

Trust Funds That May Apply

  • W.R. Grace Asbestos PI Trust
  • National Gypsum / NGC Bodily Injury Trust
  • Pittsburgh Corning Corporation Asbestos PI Trust
  • U.S. Mineral Products Asbestos PI Trust

Trades Most Exposed at Spray-Fireproofing Work

Sprayers and their helpers (the primary trades), ironworkers and welders working on the steel before and after application, all other building trades working in the same structures during application, demolition and renovation workers disturbing legacy material decades later.

Jobsites in the Network Documenting Spray-Fireproofing Likely Present

Compiled from publicly filed asbestos litigation, EPA / state-DNR records, and industry-publication histories. Product and company references reflect what has been alleged or documented in publicly filed litigation. This page does not constitute a finding of liability against any company. Not legal advice; consult a licensed attorney about your specific situation.