Navy Veterans and Mesothelioma
Asbestos was a major component in the construction, maintenance and repair of practically all structural buildings and equipment used by the US Navy until well into the 20th century. Its use wasn’t optional: In 1939, the Navy actually mandated the use of asbestos in all new ship construction because of the threat of fires at sea. In the late 1970s, as the Occupational Health and Safety Administration began issuing regulations limiting the amount of asbestos US workers could be exposed to, the Navy initiated an official ban on use of the toxic mineral. Investigations have revealed, however, that asbestos continued to be used onboard ships for years following that edict.
Asbestos and Mesothelioma
For centuries, asbestos has been used in a wide variety of industrial applications. Lightweight, strong, impervious to heat, flame, sound, chemical corrosion and electrical charge, asbestos is also highly friable: Under conditions such as those commonly found when it is being hammered, sawed and worked in a shipyard, asbestos degenerates into a dust filled with sharp filaments that are easily inhaled by workers. The filaments settle in the lungs where they cause inflammatory changes that, over the years, develop into asbestos-related diseases including the malignant cancer, mesothelioma.
Mesothelioma has an exceedingly long incubation period: The interval between exposure and diagnosis can be as long as 20 to 50 years. That means that many veterans first exposed to asbestos in the 1960s and 1970s are being diagnosed with mesothelioma today.
Navy Veterans and Mesothelioma
The Navy was the worst asbestos offender of all the military branches. Ships are tight spaces that run a lot of heat-producing machinery, engines, boilers and the like. All of these were heavily insulated with asbestos. Frequently, asbestos was actually sprayed on to ships as an aerosol to fireproof them.
In addition to insulation, asbestos was used in a wide variety of construction materials, in everything from cement to ceiling tiles. Ships, living quarters and administrative buildings all used asbestos liberally, putting not only members of the Navy at risk for developing malignant mesothelioma but also civilian defense employees, military contractors and the families that lived in military housing.
Who’s At Risk?
The Navy will not collect statistics about the number of former Navy servicemen who’ve been diagnosed with mesothelioma, but from other statistical sources we know that 26 percent of all mesothelioma patients were sailors or shipyard workers at some point in their lives. Those at greatest risk are sailors who worked below deck in engine and boiler rooms or as machinery workers and machinists mates. But, in truth, because of the friable nature of asbestos under conditions of heat and stress, everyone aboard a Navy vessel was exposed to asbestos.
If you or a loved one is a Navy veteran who is experiencing increasing symptoms of respiratory distress, seek medical attention as soon as possible. If you’re a Navy veteran who has been diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma, consult with an attorney experienced in the field of asbestos redress to see what legal options may be open to you.
