Mesothelioma and asbestos exposure in Oakland

During World War II, the East Bay became one of the country's biggest shipbuilding centers. Yards in Oakland and nearby Richmond turned out cargo ships and other vessels at record speed, employing tens of thousands of workers who installed asbestos insulation on boilers and steam lines. Many of these workers stayed in the region after the war and found jobs in other industries. The work was fast and crowded, with new workers arriving from across the country and learning trades on the job. Shipfitters, welders and electricians often worked in the same compartments as insulators, so dust from one trade settled on everyone. Many of those workers later settled in Oakland and Richmond neighborhoods.

Oil refining along the bay, especially in Richmond, used asbestos pipe covering, block insulation and gaskets on hot equipment. Military installations such as the Naval Supply Center in Oakland and Naval Air Station Alameda added more exposure through ship and aircraft maintenance and older buildings. Construction across the East Bay brought asbestos into homes and public buildings too. Oakland families often have exposure histories tied to more than one of these workplaces. Longshoremen at the Port of Oakland handled cargo that sometimes included asbestos, and ship repair continued along the waterfront after the war. Union halls in the East Bay sent tradespeople to many of these sites.