Foster Wheeler Package Boilers and Steam Generators

Product Description

Foster Wheeler Corporation was one of the most prominent manufacturers of industrial boilers and steam generation equipment in the United States throughout the twentieth century. The company supplied package boilers and steam generators to a wide range of industrial sectors, including petrochemical refineries, power generation facilities, manufacturing plants, and the maritime industry. Foster Wheeler’s equipment became a standard feature in large-scale industrial operations, and the company built a substantial reputation supplying steam systems to both commercial and military naval vessels.

Package boilers are self-contained steam-generating units assembled and shipped as integrated systems, as opposed to field-erected boilers built on-site. Steam generators, a related category of equipment, transfer heat from one fluid circuit to another and are commonly found in nuclear and conventional power plants as well as heavy industrial processing facilities. Because these units operate at sustained high temperatures and pressures, thermal insulation was a critical engineering consideration throughout their manufacture and installation.

Foster Wheeler’s boilers and steam generators were deployed across decades of American industrial expansion, appearing in shipyards, Navy vessels, oil refineries, chemical processing plants, paper mills, and other heavy industrial environments. Workers in these environments encountered the equipment during installation, operation, routine maintenance, and overhaul.

Asbestos Content

Asbestos was incorporated into package boilers and steam generators as a practical insulating material because of its resistance to heat, flame, and chemical degradation. In Foster Wheeler equipment, asbestos-containing materials appeared in multiple components and associated applications.

Insulation applied to the exterior of boiler casings and steam generator housings frequently contained asbestos, particularly products classified as block insulation, pipe covering, and blanket or felt insulation. Refractory materials lining combustion chambers and fireboxes were commonly manufactured with asbestos fiber. Gaskets used throughout boiler systems — including access doors, handhole covers, inspection ports, and flanged connections — were routinely made from compressed asbestos fiber sheet. Rope and wicking used to seal joints and openings also commonly contained asbestos.

Beyond the equipment itself, the work of installing and servicing Foster Wheeler boilers required the application or removal of asbestos-containing materials supplied by numerous insulation manufacturers. Plaintiffs in litigation have alleged that asbestos-containing insulation was a standard and foreseeable component of Foster Wheeler boiler systems as they were delivered and installed.

How Workers Were Exposed

Exposure to asbestos associated with Foster Wheeler package boilers and steam generators was not limited to a single trade or a single moment in the lifecycle of the equipment. Litigation records document that workers across multiple occupations and over extended periods encountered airborne asbestos fibers in connection with this equipment.

Industrial workers broadly — including boilermakers, pipefitters, machinists, millwrights, insulation workers, maintenance mechanics, and laborers — worked in close proximity to Foster Wheeler boilers and steam generators in refinery, manufacturing, and power generation settings. Asbestos-containing insulation on these units required cutting, fitting, and application during installation, all of which generated respirable dust. Maintenance and repair work, including the removal of old gaskets, the stripping of degraded insulation, and the replacement of refractory linings, released asbestos fibers into the surrounding air.

Shipyard workers and merchant mariners encountered Foster Wheeler marine boilers aboard naval and commercial vessels. Litigation records document that boilers installed in ship engine rooms were heavily insulated with asbestos-containing materials, and that confined shipboard spaces concentrated airborne fibers during overhaul and repair operations. Workers performing boiler maintenance in engine rooms often disturbed layers of settled asbestos dust accumulated over years of shipboard operations.

Power plant employees and refinery workers regularly performed planned outages during which Foster Wheeler steam generators were opened, inspected, and re-insulated. These outage periods involved intensive work with gaskets, insulation materials, and internal refractory components, creating conditions in which multiple workers in a common workspace could be simultaneously exposed.

Even bystander exposure has been documented in litigation. Workers not directly handling asbestos materials but present in the same work area during insulation removal or gasket replacement were alleged to have inhaled fibers disturbed by colleagues performing those tasks.

The latency period for asbestos-related diseases — typically ranging from ten to fifty years between exposure and diagnosis — means that workers who labored alongside Foster Wheeler boilers during peak industrial periods between the 1940s and the 1980s may be receiving diagnoses today.

This article is provided for informational reference purposes. It does not constitute legal advice. Individuals seeking guidance on asbestos claims should consult a qualified attorney.

Documented Product Identification

The following details are drawn from public asbestos litigation records, manufacturer catalog pages, technical manuals, and corporate history materials. Each item reflects the product as documented in those sources.

Documented asbestos-use period: 1935-1985

Corporate context: Foster Wheeler Energy Corporation (FWEC) designed and fabricated steam generating equipment, fired heaters, and oil refinery/chemical plant equipment. The company expanded into chemical plants after WWII.

Industries served: Marine, Navy/Military, Utilities, Industrial, Oil Refineries, Chemical Plants.

Naval / marine service: This manufacturer’s equipment is documented in connection with U.S. Navy and commercial-marine service.

Documented product lines:

• Steam Generating Equipment - Marine Applications (1935-1945). Steam generating equipment designed and fabricated for marine applications including Navy boilers
• Steam Generating Equipment - Utility and Industrial. Steam generating equipment designed, fabricated and/or erected for utility and industrial uses
• Fired Heaters (until 1985). Fired heaters designed and/or erected for use in refineries and chemical plants
• Oil Refinery and Chemical Plant Equipment (until 1985). Equipment designed, procured and/or constructed for oil refineries and chemical plants

Foster Wheeler provided 911 boilers to the Navy between 1935-1945 and expanded into chemical plant equipment after WWII. Operations in fired heaters and refinery/chemical plant equipment continued until 1985.