Mesothelioma Cancer in Naval Shipyard Workers
Mesothelioma among naval shipyard workers is alarmingly common. The shipbuilding industry has one of the highest rates of asbestos diseases, including mesothelioma cancer, because of the many ship components that are in part or completely made of asbestos. The decades from the pre-World War II years until the 1970s saw the highest use of asbestos by naval shipyard workers.
Decades after the Asbestos Exposure
Mesothelioma in naval shipyard workers has become a more frequent diagnosis in the last decade or so because the disease takes anywhere from 15 to 50 years after the asbestos exposure to finally make itself apparent. The symptoms of mesothelioma cancer that the naval shipyard workers experience are often first diagnosed as some other disease such as asbestosis or angina, but rigorous testing reveals the mesothelioma - often at a point that is too late for any effective treatment.
Navy Personnel and Civilian Shipyard Workers
The naval shipyard workers who have developed mesothelioma include both men and women, Navy personnel and civilian contractors, and the family members of those who worked in the shipyard near asbestos, such as:
- plumbers
- pipefitters
- boilerworkers
- laggers
- insulation installers
- construction workers
- machinery repairmen
- machinists' mates
Asbestos Regulations: Too Late for Many Shipyard Workers
Starting in 1973, the U.S. Maritime Administration implemented regulations that severely restricted the use of asbestos in shipyards, and since the late ‘70s, federal contracts for ships have required that all insulation on the ships no longer have asbestos as an ingredient. However, for the hundreds of existing cases of mesothelioma in naval shipyard workers, these limitations on asbestos came far too late.
Today's Mesothelioma Cancer Risk in Naval Shipyard Workers
Today, the “asbestos remediation” efforts to remove the dangerous, deteriorating asbestos components of Navy ships provide the most common asbestos cancer exposure risk. The components being removed or renovated include:
- steam pipes
- hot water pipes
- boilers
- tanks
- ceiling tiles
- bulkhead parts
When the asbestos insulation or other asbestos parts are disturbed during their removal (e.g., torn, cut, scraped or sawed out), it is a danger to people in the vicinity, because the asbestos cancer fibers will be released into the air where they can be inhaled.
More Information about Mesothelioma in Naval Shipyard Workers
Contact mesothelioma treatment center online for further information and assistance regarding mesothelioma in naval shipyard workers.
Mesothelioma Naval Shipyard Workers (english) / Mesotelioma en Trabajadores de Astilleros Navales (spanish)
