Mesothelioma Continuing to Make an Impact on Shipyard Industry

Shipyard workers and shipbuilders were routinely exposed to asbestos-containing materials from the beginning of World War II through the 1980s. At the time, asbestos was thought to be an ideal material to use because of its resistance to corrosion and ability to withstand high temperatures. However, the side effects of exposure are strongly being felt today as past workers are still developing asbestos-related diseases.

The ships that were built during World War II were heavily contaminated with asbestos-containing materials. Areas that typically included these hazardous materials were boiler rooms, sleeping quarters, pipes, and areas that required insulation.

Because of the close quarters and heavy use of ships during the war, materials that contained toxic asbestos fibers were constantly being damaged. Crew members would often bump into the walls and pipes that contained asbestos, which unfortunately led to the dispersion of asbestos fibers into the air. In addition, the overuse and age of a ship would often contribute to asbestos exposure because the natural deterioration of materials would also release asbestos fibers.

Throughout the twentieth century, shipyards across the nation employed hundreds of thousands of workers. Those that were heavily exposed to asbestos usually included those that worked as welders, painters and machinists on the ships.

Many of the workers and crew members did not have access to proper preventative gear to protect them from exposure. In fact, most were completely unaware that exposure to asbestos carried any risk at all. Today, asbestos is a hazardous material that is known to cause several forms of serious disease, including lung cancer, asbestosis and malignant mesothelioma.

Mesothelioma is a rare type of cancer that is almost exclusively caused by asbestos exposure. Many shipyard employees have either passed away or have been diagnosed with the disease and more are expected as the latency period associated with mesothelioma is 20 to 50 years.

Those that may have experienced asbestos exposure from the shipyard industry should receive regular examinations from their doctor. Diagnosing the disease during the early stages of development gives a person a much greater chance of having a positive effect from treatment.

For more information on asbestos exposure in shipyards, please visit the Mesothelioma Cancer Center.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, January 7th, 2009 at 2:37 pm and is filed under Asbestos Exposure, Jobsite Exposure, Mesothelioma. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS feed. Responses are currently closed, but you trackback from your own site.