Spirax Sarco was a leading steam equipment manufacturer in the years when asbestos-containing components were included in products to enhance durability and heat resistance. Although the company phased out its use of the carcinogenic material by the mid-1980s, thousands of veterans and workers across multiple industries faced dangerous exposure to these toxic fibers, leading to them being diagnosed with mesothelioma, lung cancer, and other asbestos-related illnesses.
The History of Spirax Sarco
Early Years
Spirax Sarco’s corporate history dates back to the Industrial Revolution. The year 1888 saw increased demand for new steam power solutions. Recognizing the critical need for devices that could drain water condensation while preserving valuable steam, Sanders, Rehders & Co. opened a London business that manufactured and sold steam traps and other steam power-related equipment. The company’s long name was shortened by clients to “Sarco,” and it quickly developed into a leading engineered steam products group.[1]
The company began expanding internationally in 1908, when Sarco established a sales office in New York City. The U.S. branch, originally named Sarco Fuel Saving and Engineering Company, initially operated as an import business, but the start of World War I made foreign shipments prohibitively expensive, prompting the company to open a production plant in Allentown, Pennsylvania, and transform itself into a full manufacturing operation.
Over time, the American operation expanded beyond basic steam traps to include thermostats and other temperature regulators, while at the same time continuing to focus on steam-related applications. The diversification strategy proved to be so successful that Sarco U.S. eventually became the primary manufacturer of Sarco-branded steam traps and apparatus, sending products back to Europe and the United Kingdom.
At the same time that American operations were growing, the original operations in Britain were undergoing significant changes. Shifting and diminishing its role to being a selling agent for Sarco products, the company changed its name to Sarco Thermostats and relocated its headquarters to Cheltenham. At the same time, Sarco’s first international subsidiary opened in Toronto, Canada, in 1926, initially functioned as a sales office, but later established its own manufacturing facility in Ontario in 1941.[1]
The Great Depression reintroduced costly foreign shipments that created operational challenges and led to a significant reorganization in 1932. Rather than continuing to rely on expensive American imports, the company established Spirax Manufacturing Co. in London to manufacture steam traps under the Spirax brand name. The factory remained in London through the first half of the 1930s before it purchased Sarco Thermostats in 1937 and moved its operations to Cheltenham. The acquisition proved transformative, as it provided the right to use the Sarco brand name and provided access to both the Spirax and Sarco brand portfolios.
In the years between the World Wars, Spirax grew, acquiring a second branded line of steam traps by purchasing the respected English company Ogden & Cunliffe. The territorial agreements established during this period provided Spirax with trading rights in the United Kingdom (excluding Canada), Ireland, Denmark, Holland, Portugal, Sweden, and Norway, while the U.S.-based Sarco operation managed the rest of the global market.
In 1952, Spirax purchased Sarco Co.’s remaining U.K. interests. The unified company was renamed Spirax Sarco Ltd., which reflected the merger of both historic brand names. At the same time, a new American branch called Sarco International Corporation of New York (Simco) was formed to acquire Sarco steam trap rights outside of North America.
Simco expanded aggressively in Europe, opening Sarco Appareils pour la Vapeur in Paris with a 49 percent stake, establishing a sales office in Belgium in 1952, and launching a manufacturing operation in Konstanz, Germany, called Sarco GmbH in 1954 as a joint venture with Simco controlling slightly more than 50 percent. The global consolidation was completed in 1957, when Spirax Sarco purchased Simco, acquiring worldwide rights to the Sarco steam trap brand everywhere but the United States and Canada. Those products remained under the control of Sarco Co. as a subsidiary of White Consolidated Industries.
Diversification
That same year, Spirax Sarco purchased John Such & Sons, a manufacturer of tools, jigs, and engineering equipment, and Heat Transfer Ltd., established just one year earlier in 1956. These acquisitions allowed the company to significantly expand its manufacturing capacity, adding approximately 20,000 square feet to reach a total of 50,000 square feet of production space.
The company went public in 1959 as Spirax Sarco Engineering Ltd. This marked a new era of growth and expansion. The company leveraged its worldwide Sarco brand rights to establish manufacturing operations across multiple continents, including Argentina, Sweden, Mexico, and Italy, while forming a joint venture to enter the Indian market in 1959 and establishing Sarco Sul Americana in Brazil in 1960.
Growth, Acquisitions, and Expansion
Throughout the following decades, Spirax Sarco continued its strategic acquisitions and international expansion. The company diversified its product portfolio by adding industrial and special-purpose vacuum equipment capabilities and launching new internal ventures, including Theta Controls Ltd. in 1963, which added electronic thermostats meant for the residential market.
One of the company’s most significant acquisitions took place in 1963, when it purchased Drayton Controls Ltd. This transaction doubled the company’s size and substantially extended its operations, bringing filled thermostatic systems, domestic and commercial controls, advanced sterilizing equipment, and other hospital equipment into its portfolio.
International expansion continued as the company added subsidiaries in the Netherlands, Austria, and Singapore. In 1972, Spirax Sarco established both an Australian presence and operations in New Zealand and entered the Japanese market in 1973. Later, it expanded its Asian presence to include China, Taiwan, Malaysia, Thailand, Korea, and other regional markets.
Through the decade, Spirax Sarco continued its international expansion, establishing itself as the world’s primary manufacturer of steam traps. Its exports accounted for more than 75 percent of the company’s total sales, and its financial performance was impressive: the year 1990 marked the company’s 22nd consecutive year of profit growth.
The Modern Era
At the beginning of the 1990s, Spirax Sarco diversified and expanded beyond traditional steam equipment, paying £15.3 million to pharmaceutical group Smith & Nephew to acquire Watson-Marlow, a company founded in Buckinghamshire in 1956 that had developed pumps based on the peristaltic system for hospital markets and then expanded beyond medical applications into various industrial markets shared with Spirax Sarco. The merger of the two businesses made Spirax Sarco the world leader in peristaltic pump system manufacturing, complementing its already-dominant position in steam trap technology. Today, the company continues to be one of the world’s leading providers of steam and thermal energy solutions.
Incorporation of Asbestos in Spirax Sarco Products
Throughout the early and mid-20th century, Spirax Sarco integrated asbestos-containing materials into its steam equipment manufacturing processes. The company did not produce asbestos components internally. Instead, third-party suppliers provided the asbestos-enhanced parts that were essential for the demanding operating conditions of the company’s steam systems.
As was true of so many other applications in which asbestos was used, the company’s historic inclusion of asbestos-containing components stemmed from its exceptional properties, including its outstanding heat resistance, chemical durability, and ability to withstand the extreme temperatures and corrosive environments typical of steam applications. These characteristics made asbestos seem indispensable for ensuring the reliable operation of steam traps, valves, and related equipment.
Spirax Sarco purchased the asbestos-containing components included in its equipment from established suppliers, most notably Garlock Sealing Technologies, which provided specialized gaskets and sealing materials. The c hazardous materials were incorporated into product lines distributed to industries including automotive, petrochemical, pharmaceutical, horticulture, and textile manufacturing.
Spirax Sarco’s extensive use of asbestos continued until the mid-1980s, when growing health concerns and regulatory pressure prompted the company to phase out the use of asbestos-containing components and transition to alternative materials that provided similar functionality without the associated health risks.
Occupational Hazards and Affected Workers
The widespread distribution of Spirax Sarco’s asbestos-containing steam equipment created exposure risks for workers across numerous industries and occupations. The company’s products were essential for the proper operation of heating systems in residential and commercial buildings alike, and were equally critical to oil and gas operations. The use of these products placed diverse worker populations in harm’s way, including:
- Spirax Sarco Employees
Employees at Spirax Sarco’s production facilities faced direct exposure during the manufacturing process. Factory workers not only handled asbestos-containing raw materials and assembled products incorporating these hazardous components, but they also worked in environments where asbestos fibers from the factory structure, its internal equipment, HVAC systems, and protective gear worn by workers could become airborne during normal operations, maintenance, and quality control activities.
- Installation and Maintenance Professionals
Spirax Sarco’s products were used by multiple industries, and that exposed skilled tradespeople working in a wide range of settings to asbestos while performing their work duties. These included:
- Steamfitters and plumbers installing or servicing steam trap systems
- HVAC technicians working on heating and air-conditioning applications
- Industrial maintenance workers in chemical processing plants
- Boiler operators and power plant personnel
- Oil refinery and petrochemical facility workers
- Pharmaceutical and food processing plant employees
Secondary Exposure Victims
Though the primary cause of asbestos-related diseases is direct exposure to the hazardous mineral, asbestos contamination extends beyond direct workplace contact. Many workers unknowingly carried asbestos fibers home on their clothing, in their vehicles, and throughout their personal belongings. This secondary exposurepathway put family members, and particularly spouses responsible for laundering work clothes, in danger. It created an additional population of victims.
Legal Actions Against Spirax Sarco
As understanding of the connection between asbestos-related diseases and exposure to the mineral evolved, affected individuals and their families began taking legal action. Spirax Sarco found itself named in numerous personal injury and wrongful death lawsuits filed by workers who developed mesothelioma, lung cancer, and other asbestos-related conditions after exposure to its products.
Unlike some asbestos manufacturers that sought bankruptcy protection and established trust funds for victim compensation, Spirax Sarco has remained operational and continues to face direct litigation. Affected individuals and their families can seek damages for medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering, and other losses by pursuing traditional personal injury lawsuits.
Most of the lawsuits in which Spirax Sparco has been named as a defendant have also named many other asbestos companies. This is not unusual, as people who experienced occupational exposure were often surrounded by multiple types of equipment that incorporated the carcinogenic material. In testimony specific to Spirax Sparco, victims have recalled encountering asbestos fibers during routine maintenance of the company’s steam traps, replacement of gaskets and packing materials, and other activities involving the company’s products. Legal challenges continue today, as the long latency typical of asbestos-related diseases means that new cases are still emerging decades after initial exposure.
Medical Impact of Asbestos Exposure
People exposed to asbestos through Spirax Sarco products face elevated risks of developing severe, life-threatening medical conditions. The carcinogenic nature of asbestos fibers means that even limited exposure can trigger inflammation and other deadly processes, though they may not manifest symptoms for 20 to 50 years after contact.
Primary Asbestos-Related Diseases:
- Mesothelioma: An aggressive malignancy affecting the protective membranes surrounding internal organs, most commonly the lungs. Though innovative treatments have improved quality of life and provided patients with extended survival, the disease is always considered fatal.
- Lung Cancer: Malignant tumors that develop in the lungs. The risk of this malignancy is exacerbated by smoking.
- Asbestosis: A progressive fibrotic condition causing permanent scarring of lung tissue. Asbestosis leads to breathing difficulties and respiratory failure.
- Pleural Disorders: Includes pleural plaques, pleural effusions, and pleural thickening that can impair lung function
- Other Malignancies: Cancers of the larynx, ovaries, and gastrointestinal tract have been linked to asbestos exposure
The insidious nature of these diseases means that affected individuals often experience a cascade of challenges: A gradual decline in health, growing medical expenses, lost earning capacity, and a significant impact on quality of life for both patients and their families.
Help for Mesothelioma Victims Exposed to Spirax Sarco Products
Individuals who worked with Spirax Sarco steam equipment and subsequently developed asbestos-related illnesses have legal options available to seek both compensation and justice. Given the complexity of asbestos litigation and the need to prove both an exposure history and medical causation, consulting with experienced legal professionals who specialize in asbestos claims is essential for protecting your rights.
An experienced asbestos attorney can provide you with comprehensive assistance, including:
- A thorough investigation of your employment history that pinpoints all exposure environments
- Identifying all potentially liable parties beyond Spirax Sarco, including other equipment manufacturers and suppliers
- Accessing specialized databases documenting asbestos use at specific industrial facilities and job sites
- Collaborating with occupational health experts and medical professionals to establish the connection between exposure and disease, and seeking their expert witness testimony in legal proceedings
- Locating former colleagues and coworkers who can provide testimony about workplace conditions and safety practices
Litigation may seem daunting, but a mesothelioma lawyer can explain the process, including the significant compensation that often follows jury verdicts or negotiated settlements. Additionally, your attorney’s investigation may reveal other products you were exposed to, whose manufacturers have established trust funds that will provide additional opportunities for compensation.
The statute of limitations for asbestos claims varies from state to state, but in most cases, the clock starts ticking as soon as the disease is diagnosed or should reasonably have been discovered. Given these time constraints and the complexity of proving decades-old exposure, getting in touch with qualified legal counsel is an important first step for preserving your rights and maximizing the compensation you and your family can receive.
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