Cafco Spray Fireproofing by United States Mineral Products Company

Product Description

Cafco Spray was a spray-applied fireproofing material manufactured by United States Mineral Products Company (USMP) beginning in 1954. The product was developed during a period of rapid postwar industrial and commercial construction, when demand for effective fire-resistant coatings for structural steel and other building components was expanding significantly across the United States.

Spray-applied fireproofing products like Cafco Spray were designed to be mixed with water on-site and applied directly to structural steel beams, columns, decking, and other surfaces requiring fire-resistance ratings. The material formed a dense, insulating layer intended to slow heat transfer to steel structural members during a fire, helping buildings meet the fire safety codes and insurance requirements of the era. USMP marketed Cafco-branded fireproofing products extensively through construction and industrial supply channels, and the Cafco line became one of the more widely recognized names in the commercial spray fireproofing category during the mid-twentieth century.

Production records and litigation documentation place the asbestos-containing formulation of Cafco Spray within the years 1954 through 1958. The product was used in a variety of industrial and commercial settings during those years, including manufacturing facilities, warehouses, and other structures where fireproofing of structural components was required.

Asbestos Content

Cafco Spray contained chrysotile asbestos as a principal functional ingredient. Chrysotile, also known as white asbestos, is a serpentine-form mineral fiber that was widely used in construction and industrial products throughout the twentieth century because of its heat resistance, tensile strength, and relatively low cost. In spray fireproofing applications, chrysotile fibers provided the thermal insulating and fire-resistant properties that made such products commercially viable.

Chrysotile asbestos is regulated as a known human carcinogen. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act (AHERA) and regulations promulgated by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) recognize chrysotile as capable of causing mesothelioma, lung cancer, asbestosis, and other serious pulmonary diseases. OSHA’s current permissible exposure limit for asbestos fibers reflects the agency’s determination that no level of asbestos exposure can be considered entirely without risk.

In spray-applied products, asbestos fibers are not bound in a solid matrix the way they are in some other building materials. The spray application process — and subsequent disturbance, abrasion, or deterioration of the installed product — can release asbestos fibers into the air in concentrations far exceeding safe exposure thresholds established by modern health and safety standards.

How Workers Were Exposed

Workers involved in the application and handling of Cafco Spray during its production years faced direct and repeated exposure to airborne chrysotile asbestos fibers. The spray application process itself generated substantial quantities of airborne dust containing asbestos fibers. Workers mixing the product on-site before application were exposed to dry material that could easily become airborne during measuring, pouring, and mixing operations. Those operating spray equipment were positioned at or near the point of application and would have been surrounded by the spray mist and overspray throughout their work shifts.

Industrial workers generally employed at facilities where Cafco Spray was applied to structural components also faced exposure, particularly in enclosed or poorly ventilated spaces where asbestos-laden dust could accumulate. Workers performing tasks in proximity to spray fireproofing operations — even when not directly involved in the application — could have inhaled fibers released during the spray process or from freshly applied material that had not fully set.

Additionally, workers who later encountered installed Cafco Spray during renovation, maintenance, or demolition activities at industrial facilities were at risk of secondary exposure. Spray-applied fireproofing products that have been in place for decades can become friable — meaning they crumble easily when touched — and friable asbestos-containing materials release fibers at much higher rates than intact, non-friable products. Maintenance workers, electricians, pipefitters, and other tradespeople who drilled, cut, or otherwise disturbed surfaces coated with aged Cafco Spray would have been exposed to elevated airborne fiber concentrations.

The nature of mid-century industrial work meant that respiratory protection was rarely provided and almost never adequate by modern standards. Industrial hygiene programs capable of identifying and mitigating asbestos exposure did not become standard practice until decades after Cafco Spray’s production years, leaving workers without the information or protective equipment that might have reduced their risk.

This article is provided for informational and reference purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Individuals seeking guidance regarding asbestos exposure or related legal claims should consult a qualified attorney.