Shipbuilding and shipyard maintenance were extremely popular occupations between the 1930s to the 1960s, employing over four million United States workers. These workers, however, were unaware of the high risk of asbestos exposure at shipyards. A medical study followed workers with 20 or more years of shipyard work experience and found that 86% of them suffered asbestos exposure at shipyards.
Asbestos exposure at shipyards can lead to fatal diseases including:
- Mesothelioma (a rare cancer that affects the protective lining surrounding the lungs)
- Asbestosis (a respiratory disorder caused by lung tissue scarring)
- Lung cancer
- Esophageal, stomach, colon, and rectum cancer
Shipyard Workers & Asbestos Exposure at Shipyards
The following shipyard workers are at a high risk for asbestos exposure:
- Shipbuilders
- Ship crew and longshoremen
- Shipyard maintenance workers
Shipbuilders: Shipbuilders face an increased risk of asbestos exposure at shipyards because ship construction requires direct contact with asbestos. Because the dangers of asbestos exposure were unknown until the 1970s, most shipbuilders worked in poorly ventilated shipyards without wearing any protective equipment.
Asbestos containing materials and equipment used to build ships include:
- Concrete
- Gaskets
- Boilers
- Incinerators
- Piping
- Fireproofing
- Insulation
Ship Crew and Longshoremen: Ship crew members and longshoremen suffered asbestos exposure when they handled asbestos containing materials. Many even loaded and unloaded bundles of pure asbestos onto and off of ships. Until the late 1970s, asbestos exposure dangers were unknown, so no special precautions were taken to prevent asbestos exposure.
Shipyard Maintenance Workers: Asbestos exposure is extremely likely when asbestos containing materials are repaired or removed because, when manipulated, these materials release toxic asbestos fibers into the air. Most asbestos exposure at shipyards occurs when workers repair or replace asbestos containing materials including:
- Gaskets
- Pipes
- Walls
- Floors
Asbestos Exposure at Shipyards Regulations
In 1973, after thousands of workers became ill from asbestos exposure at shipyards, the Maritime Administration (MARAD) prohibited asbestos use except in insulation cement, lagging for machinery casings, and lagging cloth. In 1978, all asbestos use was banned for government subsidized ships.
In 1993, the U.S. Occupational Safety and Hazards Administration (OSHA) placed many regulations on asbestos exposure at shipyards, including a maximum asbestos exposure limit of 0.1 fibers per cubic centimeter in an eight hour workday and 1.0 fiber per cubic centimeter in a thirty minute time frame. OSHA also requires employers to provide shipyard workers with protective clothing and equipment, and to perform periodic health exams on shipyard workers.
Injured by Asbestos Exposure at Shipyards?
Have you or a loved one been injured by asbestos exposure at a shipyard? Contact us today as you may be entitled to compensation.
Information About Asbestos Exposure at Particular Shipyards
To learn more information about asbestos exposure at particular shipyards and drydocks throughout the United States, follow the below links:
Alabama Shipyards
Alaska Shipyards
California Shipyards
- Bethlehem Steel Shipyard San Francisco
- Consolidated Shipyard
- General Dynamics Nassco
- Hunters Point Naval Shipyard
- Kaiser Shipyard
- Long Beach Naval Shipyard
- Mare Island Naval Shipyard
- Moore Dry Dock Company
- San Diego Naval Shipyard
- San Francisco Dry Dock
- Southwest Marine Shipyard
- Todd Shipyards Los Angeles
- Todd Shipyards Oakland
- Todd Shipyards San Francisco
- Western Shipyard
Connecticut Shipyards
Florida Shipyards
- Atlantic Dry Dock
- Gulf Marine Repair Corporation
- Hendry Corporation
- Mayport Navy Station
- Offshore Shipping Co.
- Pensacola Naval Air Station
- Tampa Bay Shipbuilding
Hawaii Shipyards
Louisiana Shipyards
Maine Shipyards
Maryland Shipyards
Massachusetts Shipyards
Michigan Shipyards
Mississippi Shipyards
New Jersey Shipyards
New York Shipyards
Ohio Shipyards
Oregon Shipyards
- Albina Shipyard
- Astoria Voyage Repair Station
- Cascade General Shipyard
- Dyer Shipyard
- Norhtwest Marine Ironworks
- Portland Shipyard
- South Portland Shipyard
- Swan Island Shipyard
- Tongue Point Naval Shipyard
- Willamette Iron and Steel Yard
Pennsylvania Shipyards
- Bethleham Shipbuilding Corporation
- Penn Shipbuilding
- Philadelphia Naval Shipyard
- Pennsylvania Shipyard (Beaumont)
- Sun Shipbuilding Company
Rhode Island
South Carolina Shipyards
Texas Shipyards
- American Bridge Shipyard
- Barbas Cut Docks
- Bloodworth Bond Shipyard
- Boats of Freeport
- Brown Shipbuilding Company
- Galveston Docks
- Houston Shipyards
- Kane Shipbuilding
- Keppel AMFELS Shipyard
- Naval Station Ingleside
- Orange Shipbuilding
- Port Adams Shipyard
- Trinity Marine Group
Virginia Shipyards
- Collonas Shipyard
- Little Creek Amphibious Base
- Lyon Shipyard
- National Shipyards
- Newport News Naval Shipyard
- Norfolk Naval Shipyard
- NORSHIPCO
- Phillyship
Washington Shipyards
- Bremerton Naval Shipyard
- Duwamish Shipyard
- Foss Launch Tug Company
- Kaiser Vancouver Shipyard
- Lake Union Drydock
- Lockheed Shipyard
- Marco Shipyard
- Naval Station Everett
- Puget Sound Bridge Yards
- Puget Sound Naval Shipyard
- Strategic Weapons Facility Atlantic
- Tacoma Drydock
- Todd Pacific Shipyard
- Vancouver Shipyard
- Voyage Repair Station Port Angeles
Washington DC Shipyards