Asbestos Exposure in Specific Navy Occupations
Asbestos Exposure in Navy Occupations
Strong and resistant to corrosion and extreme heat, asbestos was aboard ships and on the docks, where it was used primarily for insulation. While no one on ship or in the shipyards was safe from exposure, certain naval occupations were particularly at risk for developing asbestos cancers like asbestosis and mesothelioma.
- Boilerman – Boilermen are responsible for testing and repairing fireroom equipment, welding, and pipefitting. Like Firemen, Boilermen were among those at highest risk for asbestos exposure on ship.
- Boiler Tender – Boiler tenders are responsible for keeping the boiler’s fire burning – shoveling coal and coke, maintaining steam pressure and water levels in the boiler, and operating valves to control the flow of fuel. They are also responsible for boiler repairs, which may involve cutting or removing asbestos insulation.
- Engine Mechanic – Engine Mechanics operate, maintain, and repair several kinds of equipment, including engines, steering engines, anchor machinery, turbines, and pumps.
Gunner/Sailors – Gunners maintain guns, gun mounts, and gun parts. They operate machinery and mechanisms such as ammunition hoists, recoil and counter-recoil mechanisms, smoke screen generators and pyrotechnics. As the ship’s lookouts, these Sailors man the guns and handle ammunition.
- Fireman – Firemen operate engines and repair equipment, including oil burners and fuel-supply systems. During the War, Firemen were exposed to high levels of asbestos dust as they carried out their duties in close-quartered engine rooms with poor ventilation.
- Seabee – During the War and throughout the postwar period, military Construction Battalions (CBs, or Seabees) were often assigned to naval shipyards. Seabees were initially civilian construction workers who weren’t subject to the draft because they were older or employed in War-related work at home, yet they sacrificed high-paying civilian jobs to volunteer their service. Shortly after the Second World War the Seabees were fully integrated into the US Naval service.
- Shipfitter – Shipfitters repair hull and deck structures on ship by cutting, chipping, filing, welding, and caulking angles, seams, and rivets.
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Additionally, although not a classified Navy occupation, family members of Navy shipyard workers were also exposed to asbestos, presumably through dust brought home on the workers’ clothing. In a 1984 survey of 90 wives of shipyard workers at Norfolk Naval Shipyard, 8 to 9 percent were found to have asbestos-related lung abnormalities similar to those found in 79 percent of the shipyard workers.
Compensation for Navy Veterans Who Were Exposed to Asbestos
Evidence shows that despite its known dangers, manufacturers chose to continue the production of asbestos in their products rather than incur the cost of changing materials. Since asbestos was used to build many of the military ships and in shipyards prior to the 1970s, their negligence put countless Navy personnel in danger as they worked in shipyards and on board vessels.
Navy veterans who came into contact with asbestos during their service have the legal right to sue the manufacturers that produced and sold the asbestos used on naval ships. If you are a veteran who was exposed to asbestos as a result of these companies’ disregard for safety, you may want to see them held accountable for their careless actions. A qualified mesothelioma attorney can help you seek the financial compensation you and your family need—and deserve.