Admiralty Lawsuit Lawyer

Asbestos on Ships

For years, the shipbuilding industry used asbestos to insulate boilers, steam pipes, hot water pipes, and incinerators on ships. Asbestos dust is allowed to collect around these areas and in poorly ventilated areas of the ship.

During World War II, shipyard workers who were employed in building the numerous navy ships that were sent around the world were heavily exposed to asbestos in both the ships and in the buildings of the shipyards. After World War II, workers who worked around and with asbestos-contaminated pipes, boilers, and other items in shipyards were exposed to asbestos dust. Now, overhauling an old ship poses a high health risk. These old ships frequently contain large amounts of asbestos that poses an almost certain health risk.

Longshoremen, in addition to those in charge of building and maintaining the ships, were and are also exposed to asbestos when they handle items like insulation and fireproofing materials that use asbestos. Prior to the 1980s, these same groups could have loaded large bundles of pure asbestos fibers. In the majority of cases, the workers were not aware of the dangers associated with these fibers and did not take precautions of any sort.

The consequences of asbestos exposure in the shipyard are great. One medical study followed a group of shipyard workers with 20 or more years of employment found that 86% of the workers developed lung disease or cancer related to asbestos. The risk has not lessened with the outlawing of asbestos. As attempts are made to renovate ships with asbestos in them, the risk continues to be felt.

Contact an Admiralty Lawyer

If you have been exposed to asbestos in a shipyard, contact the admiralty lawsuit lawyers of Williams Kherkher at 1-800-220-9341 to determine your legal options.