About the Owens Corning OC Subfund
Owens Corning is best known today as a maker of fiberglass insulation and roofing products. For much of the mid-twentieth century, however, the company also manufactured Kaylo — a calcium-silicate pipe and block insulation that contained substantial amounts of amosite asbestos. Kaylo was widely marketed to the industrial insulation trade from the late 1940s through the mid-1970s and was used extensively in power plants, refineries, shipyards, chemical plants, and other heavy industrial facilities.
As asbestos litigation mounted, Owens Corning filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in October 2000, citing unmanageable asbestos liability stemming from Kaylo and other asbestos-containing products. After years of litigation and plan confirmation proceedings, the Owens Corning/Fibreboard Asbestos Personal Injury Trust was established in 2006. The trust was divided into two subfunds: the OC Subfund (covering Owens Corning’s own products) and the FB Subfund (covering Fibreboard Corporation’s products). The Delaware Claims Processing Facility (DCPF) serves as administrator for both subfunds.
The OC Subfund has paid out hundreds of millions of dollars to workers and their families who were exposed to Kaylo insulation and other Owens Corning asbestos products at job sites across the country.
Trust Fund Details
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Full Trust Name | Owens Corning/Fibreboard Asbestos Personal Injury Trust — OC Subfund |
| Predecessor Company | Owens Corning Corporation |
| Year Established | 2006 |
| Claims Processor | Delaware Claims Processing Facility (DCPF) |
| Payment Percentage | 4.7% |
| Mesothelioma Scheduled Value | ~$200,000–$250,000 (actual payment ~$9,400–$11,750 at 4.7%) |
| Key Product | Kaylo calcium-silicate pipe and block insulation (amosite asbestos) |
| Claim Types Accepted | Mesothelioma, lung cancer, asbestosis, pleural disease, other asbestos-related conditions |
Like the Manville Trust, the OC Subfund’s low payment percentage reflects the massive volume of claims it must accommodate. Because Kaylo was one of the most widely used industrial insulation products in the country, the trust has received claims from a very large population of workers.
Who Is Eligible to File with the OC Subfund?
Eligibility requires documented exposure to Owens Corning asbestos-containing products — primarily Kaylo insulation — and a qualifying asbestos disease diagnosis. Kaylo was sold to industrial insulation contractors and used at large industrial facilities, so the typical claimant is a trade worker rather than an Owens Corning employee.
Occupations most commonly associated with Kaylo exposure:
- Insulators and pipe covering mechanics who applied Kaylo pipe insulation
- Pipefitters and steamfitters who worked alongside insulation crews at refineries, power plants, and chemical plants
- Boilermakers who installed or maintained boiler systems insulated with Kaylo
- Shipyard workers — Kaylo was heavily used in naval and commercial shipbuilding
- Construction workers at large industrial construction projects where Kaylo was specified
- Maintenance workers at refineries, chemical plants, and power generation facilities
- Sheet metal workers who worked near Kaylo installation
Key worksites: Kaylo was used at virtually every major refinery, power plant, chemical plant, paper mill, steel mill, and shipyard in the country during the 1950s through 1970s. If you worked at any large industrial facility during these decades, Kaylo may have been present even if you do not specifically recall the brand name.
Qualifying diagnoses: mesothelioma, asbestos-related lung cancer, laryngeal cancer, asbestosis, pleural plaques, and diffuse pleural thickening.
How to File an OC Subfund Claim
- Consult a mesothelioma attorney: An experienced attorney will review your work history to determine whether Kaylo or other Owens Corning products were present at your job sites.
- Exposure documentation: Your attorney will use facility site inspection records, product identification databases, co-worker affidavits, and union records to establish that you worked with or around Kaylo insulation.
- Medical documentation: Pathology report, medical records confirming diagnosis, oncologist notes, and imaging studies are compiled.
- Claim submission to DCPF: Your attorney submits the completed claim form and all supporting documentation to the Delaware Claims Processing Facility on your behalf.
- Review by DCPF: The claim is reviewed under the applicable review track. DCPF is the same administrator that handles the FB Subfund, so if you qualify for both, they can be submitted together.
- Payment: Upon approval, the trust pays at the current 4.7% payment percentage applied to the scheduled value for your disease category.
Can You File Other Claims at the Same Time?
Yes. If your exposure history also involved Fibreboard Corporation insulation products, you may simultaneously file a claim with the FB Subfund of the same trust. The two subfunds are administered by the same processor (DCPF) but are separate pools of money requiring separate claim documentation.
Beyond the OC and FB subfunds, most mesothelioma patients qualify for additional trust claims based on other products used at their worksites. Common co-claims include the Manville Trust, Pittsburgh Corning Trust, Armstrong World Industries Trust, W.R. Grace Trust, and Celotex Trust, among others. Multiple trust claims and a lawsuit against solvent defendants can all proceed at the same time.
Frequently Asked Questions
The OC Subfund primarily covers Kaylo brand calcium-silicate insulation, the most widely used Owens Corning asbestos product. Kaylo was used as pipe insulation, block insulation, and sectional insulation at industrial facilities nationwide. The subfund also covers other Owens Corning asbestos-containing products including certain roofing materials and fiberglass insulation manufactured with asbestos additives during the mid-twentieth century.
The OC Subfund currently pays at approximately 4.7% of the scheduled disease value. Applied to a mesothelioma scheduled value of approximately $200,000 to $250,000, the actual payment is roughly $9,400 to $11,750 before attorney fees. As with all asbestos trusts, filing is worthwhile as part of a broader recovery that typically includes multiple trust claims and litigation.
The Delaware Claims Processing Facility (DCPF) administers the Owens Corning/Fibreboard Trust and processes claims for both the OC and FB subfunds. DCPF is also the administrator for several other major asbestos trusts, making it one of the most experienced asbestos claims processors in operation.
No. Both subfunds are part of the same parent trust but represent separate pools of money for separate companies. The OC Subfund covers Owens Corning’s own asbestos products (primarily Kaylo). The FB Subfund covers Fibreboard Corporation’s products. If your exposure included products from both companies, you may file claims with both subfunds simultaneously through the same DCPF administrator.
Yes. Many workers do not recall specific brand names. Experienced mesothelioma law firms maintain extensive databases of which products were present at thousands of industrial facilities during specific time periods. Your attorney can establish that Kaylo was used at your worksite based on facility records, contractor bid documents, and co-worker testimony, even without your own memory of specific product names.