Shipyard Workers and Mesothelioma

Shipyard workers — the civilian and military personnel who built, repaired, and overhauled ships throughout the twentieth century — face some of the highest occupational mesothelioma rates of any group in the United States. Asbestos was used throughout ships for fireproofing, thermal insulation, pipe lagging, gaskets, and packing, and shipyard workers were exposed daily, often in poorly ventilated compartments. The Centers for Disease Control and NIOSH have documented shipyard asbestos exposure as one of the best-characterized occupational cancer risks in the historical record.

Why shipyards were so dangerous

Three factors combined to create unusually high exposure:

• Sheer volume of asbestos used. A single Navy destroyer could contain tens of thousands of pounds of asbestos insulation. Commercial vessels were similar.
• Confined work spaces. Ship compartments are small and poorly ventilated. Fibers released during installation or removal of insulation concentrated in the air workers were breathing.
• Constant disturbance. Ships are constantly inspected, repaired, re-insulated, and overhauled. Every one of those activities disturbed asbestos that had been installed years earlier.

Even workers who never personally installed insulation were exposed by proximity — welders, electricians, and painters working next to insulators routinely inhaled airborne fibers.

Major U.S. shipyards with documented asbestos use

• East Coast: Brooklyn Navy Yard, Philadelphia Naval Shipyard, Norfolk Naval Shipyard, Bath Iron Works, Newport News Shipbuilding, Electric Boat (Groton), Bethlehem Steel (Fore River)
• Gulf Coast: Avondale Shipyard (New Orleans), Ingalls Shipbuilding (Pascagoula), Todd Shipyards (Houston, Galveston), Tampa Shipbuilding
• West Coast: Kaiser Shipyards (Richmond), Hunters Point Naval Shipyard (San Francisco), Mare Island Naval Shipyard (Vallejo), Long Beach Naval Shipyard, NASSCO (San Diego), Todd Shipyards (Seattle), Puget Sound Naval Shipyard (Bremerton)
• Pacific: Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard
• Great Lakes: American Shipbuilding (Cleveland, Lorain), Manitowoc Shipbuilding

Shipyard jobs with highest exposure

• Insulators and laggers — applied asbestos pipe covering, block insulation, and spray-on fireproofing directly
• Pipefitters and steamfitters — installed and maintained asbestos-insulated piping systems
• Boilermakers — worked on asbestos-clad boilers and heat exchangers
• Welders and burners — often worked directly adjacent to asbestos insulation
• Shipfitters and riggers — moved, cut, and disturbed asbestos materials during structural work
• Electricians — routed cables through asbestos-lined bulkheads and overheads
• Painters and sandblasters — often removed coatings that sat on top of asbestos insulation

Legal options for shipyard workers

Shipyard mesothelioma cases are one of the most developed areas of U.S. asbestos litigation. Typical pathways include:

• Asbestos bankruptcy trust claims. Many of the manufacturers who supplied asbestos products to shipyards (Johns-Manville, Owens Corning, Pittsburgh Corning, Armstrong World Industries, and others) filed for bankruptcy and established trusts to pay asbestos claims. These trusts still pay claims today.
• Personal injury lawsuits. Against solvent defendants (product manufacturers, premises owners, contractors) who were responsible for the exposure.
• Workers’ compensation. For civilian shipyard employees, workers’ comp may apply — rules vary by state and by whether the yard was private or federal.
• Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act (LHWCA). Federal program covering maritime workers including shipyard employees at certain facilities. See U.S. Department of Labor OWCP.
• VA disability compensation for Navy personnel assigned to shipyards. See our Navy veterans page.

Rules are fact-specific and time-limited. This is not legal advice. Consult a licensed attorney with mesothelioma experience.

Documentation that helps

• Pay stubs, W-2s, or union records showing shipyard employment dates
• Union local records (pipefitters, insulators, boilermakers locals often kept detailed records)
• Co-worker statements confirming job duties
• Photographs of work sites if available
• Medical records confirming the mesothelioma diagnosis

Get answers about your next steps

If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with mesothelioma, you may have questions about treatment, support, or legal options. MesoCare.org compiles information from federal health agencies and established cancer centers so families have a starting point — we are not a medical provider or a law firm. Start with these resources:

• Understanding mesothelioma — symptoms, types, diagnosis
• Treatment options — surgery, chemotherapy, immunotherapy, clinical trials
• Support resources — financial assistance, caregiver help, mental health
• Legal information — trust funds, lawsuits, VA disability, workers’ comp

MesoCare.org is sponsored by Danziger & De Llano, LLP and is informational only. Nothing on this page is medical or legal advice. Speak with your clinical team about treatment and a licensed attorney about legal questions.