Asbestos Exposure in Shipyards & Naval Vessels

History of Asbestos in Shipbuilding

From the 1930s through the late 1970s, asbestos was one of the most widely used materials in American shipbuilding. The U.S. Navy and commercial shipbuilders relied on asbestos for its exceptional heat resistance, fireproofing capability, and insulating properties. Every major component of a ship — from the engine room to the sleeping quarters — contained asbestos in some form. During World War II and the Korean War, shipyard production surged to unprecedented levels, and asbestos use reached its peak.

Shipyard workers operated in confined, poorly ventilated spaces below deck where asbestos fiber concentrations reached levels far exceeding what is now understood to be dangerous. Workers cut, shaped, mixed, and applied asbestos-containing materials in enclosed boiler rooms, engine compartments, and pipe tunnels where air circulation was minimal. The resulting clouds of asbestos dust were so thick that workers frequently reported not being able to see across a room. No protective equipment was issued, and in most cases workers were never warned about the health risks of asbestos exposure.

The U.S. Navy has acknowledged that asbestos was used extensively in naval vessel construction. Internal Navy documents from as early as the 1930s reference the insulating properties of asbestos, and procurement records show that the Navy purchased millions of pounds of asbestos products for ship construction and maintenance throughout the mid-20th century. Despite growing scientific evidence of the link between asbestos and cancer, manufacturers continued to supply asbestos-containing products to the Navy and commercial shipyards for decades.

Types of Asbestos Products Used on Ships

Asbestos was incorporated into virtually every system aboard a ship. The following products were standard in naval and commercial vessel construction:

• Pipe insulation and pipe coverings — wrapped around steam pipes, hot water pipes, and exhaust systems throughout the vessel
• Boiler lagging and boiler room insulation — thick asbestos wrapping around boilers, furnaces, and heating equipment
• Gaskets and packing materials — used in valves, flanges, pumps, and mechanical joints to create heat-resistant seals
• Deck coverings and floor tiles — asbestos-vinyl tiles and adhesives used in crew quarters, mess halls, and corridors
• Fireproofing and spray-on insulation — applied to structural bulkheads, walls, and ceilings for fire resistance
• Electrical wiring insulation — asbestos cloth and tape wrapped around wiring throughout the ship's electrical systems
• Turbine insulation and engine components — asbestos blankets and wrapping used on turbines, generators, and propulsion systems
• Brake and clutch assemblies — asbestos friction materials used in winches, cranes, and anchor systems

Major U.S. Shipyards with Known Asbestos Exposure

The largest U.S. shipyards employed tens of thousands of workers during World War II, the Korean War, and the Cold War military buildup. Workers at these facilities were routinely exposed to asbestos in the construction, repair, overhaul, and decommissioning of naval and commercial vessels. The following shipyards have been extensively documented in asbestos litigation and medical research:

In addition to these major facilities, hundreds of smaller shipyards along the Atlantic, Pacific, and Gulf Coasts also used asbestos extensively. Commercial shipyards that built merchant vessels, oil tankers, cargo ships, and passenger liners exposed their workers to the same asbestos-containing products used in naval construction. Workers from any U.S. shipyard operating between the 1930s and 1980s may have grounds for an asbestos-related legal claim.