Commitments and Contingencies

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2023

Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]

Asbestos Contingencies

Certain entities that became subsidiaries of ESAB Corporation in connection with the Separation are the legal obligor for certain asbestos obligations including long-term asbestos insurance assets, long-term asbestos insurance receivables, accrued asbestos liabilities, long-term asbestos liabilities, asbestos indemnity expenses, asbestos-related defense costs and asbestos insurance recoveries related to the asbestos obligations from the Former Parent’s other legacy industrial businesses. As a result, the Company holds certain asbestos-related contingencies and insurance coverages.

These subsidiaries are each one of many defendants in a large number of lawsuits that claim personal injury as a result of exposure to asbestos from products manufactured or used with components that are alleged to have contained asbestos. Such components were acquired from third-party suppliers, and were not manufactured by any of the Company’s, or Former Parent’s, subsidiaries nor were the subsidiaries, producers or direct suppliers of asbestos. The manufactured products that are alleged to have contained or used asbestos generally were provided to meet the specifications of the subsidiaries’ customers, including the U.S. Navy. The subsidiaries settle asbestos claims for amounts the Company considers reasonable given the facts and circumstances of each claim. The annual average settlement payment per asbestos claimant has fluctuated during the past several years while the number of cases has steadily declined. The Company expects such fluctuations to continue in the future based upon, among other things, the number and type of claims settled in a particular period and the jurisdictions in which such claims arise. To date, the majority of settled claims have been dismissed for no payment.

The Company has classified asbestos-related activity in Loss from discontinued operations, net of taxes in the Consolidated and Combined Condensed Statements of Operations. This is consistent with the Former Parent’s classification on the basis that, pursuant to the purchase agreement from the Former Parent’s Fluid Handling business divestiture, the Former Parent retained its asbestos-related contingencies and insurance coverages. However, as the Former Parent did not retain an interest in the ongoing operations of the business subject to the contingencies, asbestos-related activity was classified as part of Loss from discontinued operations, net of taxes in the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations of the Former Parent.

The Company has projected each subsidiary’s future asbestos-related liability costs with regard to pending and future unasserted claims based upon the Nicholson methodology. The Nicholson methodology is a standard approach used by experts and has been accepted by numerous courts. Consistent with the Former Parent, it is ESAB’s policy to record a liability for asbestos-related liability costs for the longest period of time that ESAB management can reasonably estimate.

The Company believes that it can reasonably estimate the asbestos-related liability for pending and future claims that will be resolved in the next 15 years and has recorded that liability as its best estimate. While it is reasonably possible that the subsidiaries will incur costs after this period, the Company does not believe the reasonably possible loss or a range of reasonably possible losses is estimable at the current time. Accordingly, no accrual has been recorded for any costs which may be paid after the next 15 years. Defense costs associated with asbestos-related liabilities as well as costs incurred related to efforts to recover insurance from the subsidiaries’ insurers are expensed as incurred.

Each subsidiary has separate insurance coverage acquired prior to Company ownership. The Company estimates the insurance assets for each subsidiary based upon the applicable policy language, expected recoveries and allocation methodologies, and law pertaining to the affected subsidiary’s insurance policies.

Asbestos-related claims activity since December 31 is as follows:


	Three Months Ended
	March 31, 2023	April 1, 2022
	(Number of claims)
Claims unresolved, beginning of period	14,106	14,559
Claims filed(1)	986	1,065
Claims resolved(2)	(749)	(779)
Claims unresolved, end of period	14,343	14,845

(1) Claims filed include all asbestos claims for which notification has been received or a file has been opened.

(2) Claims resolved include all asbestos claims that have been settled, dismissed or that are in the process of being settled or dismissed based

upon agreements or understandings in place with counsel for the claimants.

The Company’s Consolidated Balance Sheet included the following amounts related to asbestos-related litigation:


	March 31, 2023		December 31, 2022
	(In thousands)

Long-term asbestos insurance asset(1)	$	202,318	$	215,112
Long-term asbestos insurance receivable(1)	18,648		17,231
Accrued asbestos liability(2)	29,002		30,108
Long-term asbestos liability(3)	215,780		230,581

(1) Included in Other assets in the Consolidated Balance Sheet.

(2) Represents current accruals for probable and reasonably estimable asbestos-related liability costs that the Company believes the subsidiaries will pay, and unpaid legal costs related to defending themselves against asbestos-related liability claims and legal action against the Company’s insurers, which is included in Accrued liabilities in the Consolidated Balance Sheet.

(3) Included in Other liabilities in the Consolidated Balance Sheet.

Management’s analyses are based on currently known facts and assumptions. Projecting future events, such as new claims to be filed each year, the average cost of resolving each claim, coverage issues among layers of insurers, the method in which losses will be allocated to the various insurance policies, interpretation of the effect on coverage of various policy terms and limits and their interrelationships, the continuing solvency of various insurance companies, the amount of remaining insurance available, as well as the numerous uncertainties inherent in asbestos litigation could cause the actual liabilities and insurance recoveries to be higher or lower than those projected or recorded which could materially affect the Company’s financial condition, results of operations or cash flow.

General Litigation

The Company is involved in various pending legal proceedings arising out of the ordinary course of the Company’s business. None of these legal proceedings is expected to have a material adverse effect on the financial condition, results of operations or cash flow of the Company. With respect to these proceedings, and the litigation and claims described in the preceding paragraphs, management of the Company believes that it will either prevail, has adequate insurance coverage or has established appropriate accruals to cover potential liabilities. Legal costs related to proceedings or claims are recorded when incurred. Other costs that management estimates may be paid related to the claims are accrued when the liability is considered probable and the amount can be reasonably estimated. There can be no assurance, however, as to the ultimate outcome of any of these matters, and if all or substantially all of these legal proceedings were to be determined adverse to the Company, there could be a material adverse effect on the financial condition, results of operations or cash flow of the Company.