Product Description
Fisher Controls (later Emerson Process Management), headquartered historically in Marshalltown, Iowa, is one of the dominant names in process control valves. Fisher globe, angle, and rotary control valves — the ED, EZ, easy-e, and V-series among many others — were specified into essentially every refinery, chemical plant, power generation station, and pulp and paper mill built in the United States during the mid-twentieth century.
According to publicly filed asbestos litigation records, Fisher control valves were allegedly furnished originally with asbestos-fiber compression packing at the valve-stem stuffing box, sealing the reciprocating or rotating stem against high-pressure process fluids. Bonnet and body gasketing on certain models allegedly incorporated asbestos as well. Because Fisher valves modulate rather than simply open-and-close, the stems cycle continuously — driving frequent packing service.
Workers Exposed
Instrumentation and control (I&C) technicians allegedly serviced Fisher stem packing throughout the process industries. Repacking a Fisher valve required removing the actuator, breaking down the bonnet, extracting hardened old packing with picks and hooks, and installing fresh cut-and-coiled rings — a sequence allegedly generating airborne asbestos fibers at each step.
Refinery and chemical-plant pipefitters allegedly worked adjacent to control-valve repacks. Power plant operators and maintenance mechanics allegedly performed the same tasks on Fisher valves in feedwater, condensate, and steam service. Valve-shop technicians who rebuilt Fisher assemblies allegedly cut fresh asbestos packing on the bench.