United
States Armed Forces Veterans & Asbestos Exposures - Types of
Vessels, Brooklyn Navy Shipyard, Use of Asbestos in Shipyards, World
War II
(January 10th, 2010)
 Most
Scientists and the General public know that typical working environments
where Asbestos was a hazard include shipyards, metal works, railway
lines, automobile workshops, etc. But what most people don't know
is the fact that US Army and War Veterans who worked in the military
were also at great risk of Asbestos exposure. Infact, the U.S. Department
of Veterans Affairs estimates that over 25 million Veterans and
individuals living in the US have served in the military, and hundreds
of thousands of these people have been exposed to toxic Asbestos
substances. Because of its resistance to heat & fire and insulating
capabilities, Asbestos was very popular in the military sites. Infact,
Asbestos became so popular that the US Military made it mandatory
for its use, before starting to ban it in the early 1970s. The military
estimates that it used over 300 Asbestos containing products in
its operations between the 1930s and 1970s. The most popular area
of the military sites where Asbestos was used was the shipyards.
Common areas included engine & boiler rooms, sleeping quarters,
navigation rooms and meeting halls. Common Asbestos containing products
used in the military and shipbuilding sites included ship brakes,
gaskets, cement, valves, pipe coverings and more. US Naval boats
and ships that commonly used Asbestos for insulation purposes included:
- Aircraft carriers
- Airships
- Battleships
- Cruisers
- Destroyers & Escorts
- Frigates
- Minesweepers
- Patrol boats
- Submarines
- United States Coast Guard Auxiliary
The image above on the left is of the Brooklyn Navy Yard, which
was a very popular shipbuilding & production yard in World War
II. It housed a production powerplant, radio station, 2 steel shipways,
6 pontoons and more. It employed over 16,000 people in World War
I, thus you can imagine the amount of Asbestos exposure that might
have occured during this period. US Military & War Veterans
are in a state of dilemma and confusion because they cannot seek
compensation against the US Government through the courts system
as they are prohibited to do so. Why the US Government? Because
the military is run by the US Government, thus the government was
technically the employer of these shipyard workers & navy personnel.
However, veterans are allowed to apply for Veteran Affairs (VA)
benefits for those suffering from Asbestos induced diseases. The
veteran must provide proof that his disease is due to service in
the US military and occupational Asbestos exposure on the job. What's
more, the veteran must also prove that his asbestos exposure was
solely due to military service, and not as a result of other means
such as consuming asbestos containing products, such as hair dryers,
heat guards, etc. If this is the case, the Veteran will be asked
to seek compensation from Asbestos manufacturing companies, which
could likely result in lawyer referrals and lawsuits.
Note: At the moment, the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs does
not recognize Mesothelioma lung cancer as a disease resulting from
service on the US military.
War & Military Veterans also run the risk of spreading their
Asbestos exposures to their families and friends through environmental
exposure. This is because they carried asbestos fibers on their
hair, clothes, shoes, jackets, etc. For instance if the wife washes
her husband's shirt that has asbestos fibers on them, she runs the
risk of inhaling these fibers in to her lungs. Between 1930s - early
1950s, there was not much information out there about the hazards
of Asbestos and environmental or occupational exposure to Asbestos
and its harmful effects. However, beginning the 1950s, there was
some information being published out there emphasizing the hazards
of Asbestos use. Thus, there is no reason why employers, both the
US Government, US Military and other corporations should not have
taken care when making their employees handle Asbestos containing
products. There is a small chance that War & military veterans
were not made aware of the dangers of Asbestos because employers
knew the length of time it takes to develop Asbestos related diseases;
between 20 - 40 years after initial occupational exposure. Thus,
these employers thought they could gain a lot of money by using
Asbestos containing products, as well as not being held accountable
for their negligence.
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