Was Bell & Gossett — Shell-and-Tube Heat Exchanger asbestos documented in litigation?

Bell & Gossett — Shell-and-Tube Heat Exchanger is documented in public asbestos litigation records as a manufacturer whose products contained asbestos during the mid-twentieth century. Workers in industrial facilities, power plants, refineries, shipyards, and commercial construction who handled or worked near these products may have experienced occupational exposure.

Which trades had the most exposure?

Pipe coverers and insulators, pipefitters, boilermakers, millwrights, and maintenance workers are among the trades most frequently documented in asbestos exposure claims. Workers who cut, fitted, or removed asbestos-containing products — and those working in close proximity during that work — typically had the highest fiber concentrations.

How long do workers have to file an asbestos claim?

Statutes of limitations for asbestos personal injury claims vary by state, typically ranging from one to five years from the date of an asbestos-related diagnosis. The clock generally starts at diagnosis, not exposure — mesothelioma can have a latency period of 20 to 50 years. An asbestos attorney can identify the deadlines that apply to your specific situation.

Can workers file claims related to Bell & Gossett — Shell-and-Tube Heat Exchanger asbestos exposure?

Yes. Workers diagnosed with mesothelioma, asbestos-related lung cancer, or asbestosis after exposure to Bell & Gossett — Shell-and-Tube Heat Exchanger products may pursue claims through civil litigation. An experienced asbestos attorney can assess available defendants, applicable trust funds from co-defendants, and the states where claims can be filed most effectively.

Can family members file secondary exposure claims?

Spouses, children, and household members who developed asbestos-related disease through contact with contaminated work clothing brought home by an exposed worker may be eligible for secondary (household) exposure claims. Wrongful-death claims can also be filed by surviving family members of workers who died from asbestos-related disease.

Gaskets

Bell & Gossett shell-and-tube heat exchanger head/channel flange gaskets and tube-sheet gaskets, allegedly manufactured from compressed asbestos fiber (CAF) sheet stock and asbestos-cored spiral-wound rings for HVAC, industrial, and chemical process duty

⚖ Litigation Record1940s–1985Alleged chrysotile-fiber compressed sheet gaskets installed between the channel cover, floating-head cover, and tube-sheet flanges of Bell & Gossett shell-and-tube exchangers; released as friable fiber when gaskets were chiseled, wire-brushed, or scraped during annual tube-bundle pulls, retubing, and head re-gasketing by industrial mechanics and HVAC service crews

Overview Product Facts Trades

Litigation Record: Information below reflects allegations in publicly filed asbestos litigation — plaintiff allegations, not findings of fact.

Product Description

Bell & Gossett (Morton Grove, IL; later ITT Bell & Gossett) allegedly manufactured a full line of shell-and-tube heat exchangers for HVAC, hydronic-system, and industrial process service throughout the mid-twentieth century. Plaintiffs alleged in publicly filed U.S. asbestos personal-injury and wrongful-death litigation that the flange gaskets between the exchanger shell, channel cover, floating-head cover, and tube-sheet were manufactured from compressed asbestos fiber (CAF) sheet material or asbestos-cored spiral-wound rings, and that Bell & Gossett supplied both original-equipment gasket sets and aftermarket replacement gaskets in gasket kits shipped with retubing bundles.

This product page covers the shell-and-tube exchanger gaskets specifically, distinct from Bell & Gossett pump packing and B&G circulator seals (covered on sibling pages).

Workers Exposed

Plaintiffs allegedly identified the following trades as exposed during Bell & Gossett heat exchanger service:

Pipefitters and steamfitters pulling floating-head covers and cutting replacement gasket blanks to size.
HVAC mechanics servicing hydronic-system shell-and-tube heat exchangers in commercial buildings.
Industrial millwrights performing annual tube-bundle pulls, retubing, and head re-gasketing at chemical plants and refineries.
Boilermakers replacing tube-sheet gaskets after hydrostatic testing.

Alleged exposure mechanisms included chiseling cured gasket residue from raised-face flanges, wire-brushing the tube-sheet groove, and cutting gasket stock on the shop bench.

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If You Worked at Bell & Gossett

If you or a family member worked at Bell & Gossett and were exposed to asbestos-containing materials at this facility — and were diagnosed with mesothelioma, asbestosis, lung cancer, or another asbestos-related disease — you may be entitled to significant compensation. Time-sensitive filing deadlines apply.

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✓ Trust fund claims and civil lawsuits pursued simultaneously

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Product Facts

Trade NameBell & Gossett shell-and-tube heat exchanger head/channel flange gaskets and tube-sheet gaskets, allegedly manufactured from compressed asbestos fiber (CAF) sheet stock and asbestos-cored spiral-wound rings for HVAC, industrial, and chemical process duty

Years Produced1940s–1985

Asbestos ContentAlleged chrysotile-fiber compressed sheet gaskets installed between the channel cover, floating-head cover, and tube-sheet flanges of Bell & Gossett shell-and-tube exchangers; released as friable fiber when gaskets were chiseled, wire-brushed, or scraped during annual tube-bundle pulls, retubing, and head re-gasketing by industrial mechanics and HVAC service crews

CategoryGaskets Chemical-Plants

Trust FundNo active trust

Exposed Trades & Occupations

PipefittersHVAC MechanicsIndustrial MillwrightsBoilermakers

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Were You Exposed to an Asbestos-Containing Product?

If you have been diagnosed with an asbestos-related disease and were exposed to asbestos-containing products, you and your family may be entitled to significant compensation through asbestos trust funds and civil litigation. An attorney experienced in product liability and asbestos claims can evaluate your case — at no cost to you.

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No attorney fee unless we make a financial recovery
Statutes of limitations may limit the time you have to act
Trust fund claims, civil lawsuits, and VA benefits pursued simultaneously

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Asbestos Product Liability & Mesothelioma Claims

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