Southwest Marine Shipyard, San Diego
The Southwest Marine Shipyard, located in San Diego, California has been a ship repair facility since it was purchased from Bethlehem Steel Corporation in the early 1980s. Half of the shipyard in San Diego is old and vacant while the other half is replete with buildings that are still standing from World War II. One of the oldest shipbuilding and repairing facilities in the area, Southwest Marine Shipyard in San Diego began as a relatively small shipyard. Today however, it is the only shipyard still in existence today.
With the threat of war looming in 1940, many shipyards began to prepare for large-scale mobilization. Southwest was no different, they prepared by expanding their efforts to include both building and repairing ships, which would increase the profits. The enormous amount of work received by this shipyard was unheard of; at their peak, they could repair and return at least two vessels to working condition per day. Once the war ended, this facility focused mainly on repairing vessels. The decline of steel production forced Bethlehem Steel to sell and in the 1980s, Southwest Marine Shipyard was able to transform the facility into a top-notch repair facility.
Unfortunately, many of the employees working in this facility today are still at risk of asbestos exposure and other illnesses related to asbestos exposure. The large amount of work undertaken by the Bethlehem Steel Corporation during World War II has likely left many ill with lung cancer or mesothelioma, a form of cancer associated only with exposure to asbestos. Because asbestos was relatively cheap and it worked exceptionally well against extreme heat, it was the preferred method for shipyards across the country, particularly in a growing shipyard like Southwest Marine. Pipe fitters and insulators were exceptionally prone to inhaling asbestos fibers due to the sanding and cutting of asbestos to seal pipes, which causes additional asbestos particles to be released into the air.
The number of ships produced, especially in a short period of time, will have devastating effects for the men and women working this shipyard during WWII. Because asbestos exposure related illnesses take a long time to present themselves, many shipyard workers have been infected and are unaware. Today there are safety regulations in place to decrease asbestos-related sickness, but many facilities like Southwest Marine Shipyard in San Diego are still using the same World War II facilities. As long as asbestos-containing materials (ACM) are present, there is a risk that someone will inhale the potentially deadly particles. The older the materials with asbestos become, the more they begin to flake and fall off, which produces more particles that are released into the air and inhaled by unsuspecting workers.
Today, there are lobbyists and attorneys available to workers of Southwest Marine Shipyard in San Diego that are or may be affected by Mesothelioma, lung cancer and other health problems associated with exposure to asbestos. Many attorneys work to assist shipyard workers receive financial compensation to help with the expensive cost of treating Mesothelioma, cancer and other illnesses related to long-term asbestos exposure.
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