Navy Asbestos Exposure

Sadly, most people who develop asbestos-related diseases are exposed to asbestos while carrying out duties related to their occupation. Industrial work settings have historically been those in which a majority of people dealing with mesothelioma and other asbestos linked health issues have unknowingly been exposed. This is largely because asbestos was commonly used in insulation, piping, and other items frequently found in these settings. Shipyards were common sources of exposure prior to legislation that restricted the use of asbestos and related products in the United States. This widespread use of asbestos in shipbuilding created a significant navy asbestos link.

Asbestos in navy settings was a frequent occurrence due to the fire resistant properties of the toxic mineral. Many vessels were laden with asbestos because of the need for them to be highly resistant to heat elements when used in combat. The awareness of the potential dangers associated with asbestos on navy ships were not then widely known to most workers in this construction field.

Navy asbestos exposure in the last century has brought on health complications for many today that worked in shipyards or on aircraft carriers, cargo ships, submarines, battleships, hospital ships, tankers, and other vessels used for military and other purposes during that time. The number of individuals exposed to asbestos by working in shipyards or shipboard has been reported to be in the hundreds of thousands. Nearly every location aboard many of the ships posed a health hazard due to contamination, including quarters used for sleeping, eating, and navigating. Family members of ship builders were also placed at a high risk because of fibers transported on the clothing, skin, and hair of workers after leaving their work sites.

Several navy mesothelioma lawsuits have resulted from recent diagnoses of the illness and other asbestos diseases that have been linked to asbestos navy ships.