Henry Vogt Control Valves with Asbestos Gaskets (Yarway)

Product Description

Henry Vogt control valves were industrial flow-control components manufactured and distributed under the Yarway brand, designed for demanding high-pressure and high-temperature service environments. These valves were widely deployed in power generation facilities, refineries, chemical processing plants, paper mills, and other heavy industrial settings where precise regulation of steam, water, and process fluids was essential to plant operations.

Produced from the late 1930s through September 1, 1986, Henry Vogt control valves represented a standard engineering solution across multiple decades of American industrial expansion. Their construction incorporated internal sealing components—most critically, flat sheet gaskets and valve packing—that were manufactured using asbestos-containing materials. During the period of their production and widespread installation, asbestos was considered an industry-standard sealing material for high-heat and high-pressure applications, prized for its compressibility, chemical resistance, and thermal stability.

The September 1, 1986 cutoff date is significant and consistent with the broader shift in industrial manufacturing practices following the regulatory actions of the 1970s and early 1980s, including OSHA’s tightening of permissible exposure limits for asbestos and the growing awareness of asbestos-related disease liability within the manufacturing sector. Prior to that cutoff, asbestos-containing gaskets were a routine component of these valve assemblies.

Asbestos Content

The asbestos-containing material identified in Henry Vogt control valves was chrysotile asbestos, also known as white asbestos. Chrysotile is the most commercially widespread form of asbestos and was the dominant fiber type used in compressed sheet gasket manufacturing throughout the mid-twentieth century.

In valve assemblies, chrysotile was incorporated into:

  • Flat sheet gaskets used to seal bonnet-to-body joints and flange connections, preventing leakage of steam or process fluids under high pressure
  • Valve stem packing, which provided a dynamic seal around the moving stem of the valve to prevent blowby and fluid loss during operation

Compressed asbestos sheet gaskets of this type typically contained chrysotile fiber bound with rubber or other binders and pressed into sheets that could be cut to the specific dimensions required by a given valve body configuration. The fiber content in such products varied by formulation but was generally substantial, as the asbestos fiber provided the primary sealing and thermal resistance properties.

It is important to note that under AHERA (Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act) and OSHA standards, chrysotile asbestos is classified as a known human carcinogen associated with mesothelioma, asbestosis, and lung cancer, regardless of its fiber form.

How Workers Were Exposed

Industrial workers who installed, maintained, repaired, or replaced Henry Vogt control valves during the decades these products were in service faced potential asbestos fiber exposure through several documented pathways.

Installation and initial assembly could generate fiber release when gaskets were cut, trimmed, or fitted to valve body flanges. Workers often used hand tools, wire brushes, or grinding equipment to seat and surface-prepare gaskets, activities that could disturb the compressed asbestos sheet material and liberate respirable fibers into the surrounding air.

Routine valve maintenance was a primary exposure pathway. Industrial valves in high-pressure service require periodic inspection and repacking of valve stems to maintain sealing integrity. When maintenance workers removed worn or degraded packing material from valve stems, the old asbestos packing—often hardened, cracked, and friable after years of thermal cycling—could release fibers during removal. Scraping, picking, or wire-brushing packing residue from gland areas was commonly performed in enclosed plant environments without respiratory protection during much of the production period covered by these valves.

Gasket replacement during planned turnarounds or emergency repairs required workers to break the seal on bolted flange joints. Old gaskets, compressed under years of service pressure and heat, were frequently struck with hammers or scrapers to dislodge them from flange faces. This activity—known in industrial practice as gasket breakout—was recognized in later OSHA guidance as a significant source of short-duration, high-concentration asbestos fiber release.

Bystander exposure was also a documented concern. Pipefitters, operators, instrument technicians, and other plant personnel who worked in proximity to valve maintenance activities could inhale fibers released into shared workspace air, even if they were not directly performing the work on the valve itself.

General industrial workers across power plants, refineries, chemical facilities, and manufacturing installations where Yarway Henry Vogt control valves were specified and installed represent the primary affected trades identified in connection with these products.

This article is provided for informational and legal reference purposes. It does not constitute legal advice. Individuals with potential asbestos exposure claims should consult a qualified asbestos litigation attorney to evaluate their specific circumstances.

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: 1920s-mid 1980s

Corporate context: Formed in 1908 as Simplex Engineering Company. Purchased by Keystone International in the 1980s, then sold to Tyco International in 1997. Currently a subsidiary of Tyco Flow Control Group.

Documented asbestos components: gaskets, packing, insulation.

Documented asbestos-component suppliers: the public records lists the following external suppliers of asbestos-bearing packing, gaskets, and seals used in conjunction with this manufacturer’s equipment — Johns-Manville, Manhattan Asbestos.

Industries served: Power plants, Petroleum refining, Marine/Naval.

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

Documented product lines:

  • Boiler trim valves (1930s-present). Valves used for servicing vents and drains within boilers — asbestos components: gaskets, packing.
  • Gauges (1945-1965). Gauges for viewing water levels within a boiler — asbestos components: gaskets, packing.
  • Indicator systems (1945-1965). Level indication equipment for boiler levels
  • Steam control valves (1945-present). Valves used for controlling steam flow — asbestos components: gaskets, packing.
  • Steam traps (1945-present). Devices used to remove condensate from steam systems — asbestos components: gaskets, packing.
  • Hand-operated globe valves. Manually operated globe valves supplied to petroleum industry and marine applications — asbestos components: gaskets, packing.

Yarway began transitioning from asbestos to expandable graphite components in 1982-1983, a process that took approximately 5 years to complete. On ships, Yarway products were always insulated and contained asbestos gaskets and packing.