Asbestos In Shipyards

Pearl Harbor Shipyard

The Pearl Harbor Shipyard in Hawaii was just one of the numerous shipyards in the United States that was very active during the Second World War. The United States government put out the call to action to every shipyard in the country to increase their labors in building ships for the fighting effort, and the Pearl Harbor Shipyard in Hawaii was just one of the many that answered the call. However, the workers didn't realize that their efforts in assembling and building ships for the war would end up costing lives of themselves and their coworkers.

The ships of the Second World War were assembled using excessive amounts of asbestos, and most of the personnel in the Pearl Harbor Shipyard did not use any protection from the product because they did not know at the time that asbestos and asbestos fibers can cause diseases and cancer. For the personnel who worked at the Pearl Harbor Shipyard symptoms of asbestos related diseases, such as mesothelioma - a cancer of the lining of the lungs, heart or abdomen, as well as asbestosis, would begin to show up between 15 and 40 years after their asbestos exposure.

Mesothelioma is form of lung cancer that is often fatal - many people who are told they have this cancer die not long after the initial diagnosis. There is not much that doctors, modern medicine or sufferers can do because the warning signs of the diseases don't start to show up until 15 to 40 years after asbestos exposure took place. Also, the treatments for cancer that are commonly used today, such as chemotherapy and radiation therapy, are not effective at treating the cancer.

Asbestos was used a lot during the World War II, especially in the building of war ships for the war. For staff at the Pearl Harbor Shipyard in Hawaii, there are added worries for the wellbeing and safety of their families. Asbestos fibers are thin and are easily carried home on shoes, clothing, hair and skin, and are just as easily released. This means that not only are the Pearl Harbor Shipyard workers at risk, but so are their families.

The only identified cause for mesothelioma cancer is asbestos exposure. While mesothelioma is considered to be a cancer that is quite atypical, there are approximately 2,000 new cases reported each year in the USA. Mesothelioma makes up about one percent of the yearly reported deaths that are associated with cancer. However, mesothelioma is one of the most deadly forms of cancer one can be diagnosed with, and all because of exposure to asbestos.

Not everyone who is exposed to asbestos will be diagnosed with an asbestos related disease, such as mesothelioma or asbestosis. People with very little asbestos exposure can get malignant mesothelioma. There are no guaranteed safe levels of asbestos exposure and despite whether your exposure was limited or extreme; there is no telling the outcome of your future health.

Asbestos fibers are very slim and very sturdy. These fibers are quite easily breathed in and can get stuck in the lining of the lungs, heart or abdomen. The fibers are so tough that when they are stuck in the lining, your body can do next to nothing to break them down or get rid of them.

If you or someone you love has mesothelioma cancer and worked at the Pearl Harbor Shipyard or any shipyard during World War II, contact a qualified mesothelioma lawyer to discuss launching a lawsuit.

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