New York Shipbuilding Corporation
New York Shipbuilding Corporation, which is currently part of the Port of Camden, was created in the early part of the 20th century to be a state-of-the-art shipyard. Its name was derived from the fact that it was originally supposed to be situated on Staten Island. In 1916, it was purchased and expanded upon by American International Corp. and W. R. Grace. In 1925, it was sold to American Brown Boveri. During WWII, the Navy invested $25 million to expand its ability to service vessels.It was officially closed in 1967.
The possibility of health risks associated with asbestos use at the shipyard was first documented in a memorandum dated August 12, 1943 that was sent to the Supervisor of Shipbuilding, USN, Camden, NJ from the Chief of the Bureau of Ships. It said that an insulation made from a different type of mineral wool was being tested and that it was believed to be safer than the amosite (a type of asbestos) insulation that was currently being used. The memorandum also included medical and hygiene measures for the safe handling of amosite asbestos, which is known to cause mesothelioma cancer. The Chief of the Bureau of Ships considered the memo to be urgent enough to be hand delivered by local Navy personnel.
Concerns with Exposure to Amosite Insulation
On September 24, 1943, G.H. Wood of the Navy Department in Camden, NJ sent the memorandum to the New York Shipbuilding Corp. However, that wasn't the only notification about the dangers of having employees of the yard work with amosite.
In a letter dated January 8, 1944 from P. Drinker, consultant to the U.S. Maritime Commission, to Captain Ingram, Navy Bureau of Ships, Drinker warned that the threat of labor problems was a real possibility because of the unions' concern regarding the use of amosite insulation. A strike could be called if questions about the hazardous way amosite asbestos was being handled at the yard were not rectified. Drinker recommended addressing the issue by providing respirators and exhaust ventilation. He also suggested finding a substitution for the amosite insulation.
Asbestos Exposure wasn't Limited to One Type of Insulation
The Johns-Manville Corporation made a number of insulation products that were incorporated into the structures in the shipyard, and also used in the equipment the employees came into contact with on a daily basis:
- Asbesto-Sponge felted sheets and block, which were highly resistant to mechanical abuse
- Vitribestos sheets made to insulate smokestacks and flues
- Asbestocel sheets and blocks that acted as linings for boilers, drying rooms and warm air ducts
- Marinite, which was similar to Transite but lighter, used in wall panels or as fireproofing on steel decks
- Fibro-Cel, an insulating kiln filler for use to 1800 degrees F
- Trancell made to enclose bus bars, transformers, switches and other types of electrical equipment
The many forms of asbestos used throughout the yard were not always easily recognizable. Black panels in which electrical components were mounted gave the appearance of slate, but were in fact asbestos-containing materials. An air duct vibration damper to reduce noise level appeared to be white burlap, but was actually asbestos fabric. That meant that employees of the New York Shipbuilding were exposed to asbestos in ways they were aware of and in ways they were not knowledgeable of.
Do you suspect you were exposed to asbestos at New York Shipbuilding? Educating yourself on the symptoms of asbestos-related diseases can help you watch out for and catch an illness early, which can improve your life expectancy. Simply fill out the form on this page to receive the Mesothelioma Center's free informational packet, which can answer many of your questions and contains numerous resources for you and your family.
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Last Modified Thursday, February 9th, 2012 | Disclaimer | Privacy Policy |
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