Asbestos in Shipyards

Engine and boiler rooms were packed with pipes, valves, pumps and machinery, all needing insulation and gaskets. Work took place in tight compartments with little ventilation, so dust from cutting and mixing insulation lingered. Insulators, pipefitters, boilermakers, machinists, electricians, welders and shipfitters often worked in the same space at the same time. During overhauls, old insulation was ripped out while new material went in. Even workers who never handled asbestos directly breathed the dust created by others around them. Insulation was often mixed by hand from dry powder, and scraps littered the deck. Cleanup crews swept that debris daily, adding to the dust.

Navy ships were built and maintained to specifications that called for asbestos-containing materials in many systems. Naval shipyards and private yards with Navy contracts employed large civilian workforces. Records of ship construction, overhauls and personnel assignments are often available, and many shipyards and vessels have been the subject of earlier asbestos cases. Service members stationed aboard ships during yard periods were exposed alongside civilian workers. Ship names, hull numbers and dates can be especially useful details. Veterans may also have exposure from time aboard ships at sea, separate from yard periods. Keep your DD-214 and any duty station records.

Shipyard workers often went home in the same clothes they wore on the job. Dust on shirts, pants and boots was shaken out in homes and cars and released again during laundry. Spouses who washed those clothes, and children who greeted parents after shifts, could inhale fibers without ever setting foot in the yard. Household exposure claims connected to shipyard workers are recognized in many situations. Knowing where a family member worked and when is the starting point. Children of shipyard workers sometimes recall the dusty clothes or the smell of the yard. Those memories can support a household exposure history.

1. 1

   Write down each shipyard you worked at, plus the ships and hull numbers you remember.

2. 2

   Note your trade and the other trades that worked in the same compartments.

3. 3

   Gather union cards, pay stubs or badges that confirm shipyard employment dates.

4. 4

   List family members who handled your work clothes during those years.