Decades of Asbestos Use on Ships
During World War II, the United States Navy embarked on a ship-building program which produced thousands of ships that incorporated literally tons of asbestos insulation products. These ships served for the next four decades, exposing thousand of shipyard workers and navy seamen to asbestos. Asbestos-containing materials insulated the hot pipes and machinery found throughout these ships. Shipyard workers were exposed to the asbestos dust generated when these ships were constructed and repaired in shipyards throughout the country. Navy seamen were exposed to the asbestos materials as they operated these ships at sea.
Asbestos Use on US Navy Ships
Marine engineers estimate that up to 88% by weight of the insulating material on World War II ships contained asbestos. The quantity of asbestos on US Navy ships depended on when the ships were built and their overall size with battleships being at one extreme. The Iowa class battleships contained almost 465 tons of insulation. Other classes of WW II ships also contained tons of asbestos insulation. The Navy constructed over 175 Fletcher class destroyers, each one with almost 30 tons of asbestos thermal insulation on her pipes and machinery. The next generation of destroyers, the Gearing class, took advantage of some of the lighter weight insulating materials but still had over 24 tons of asbestos insulating materials on its 58 ships.
There were many asbestos insulating products specified for use on the pipes, equipment, and machinery on navy ships. Asbestos pads, asbestos felt, and asbestos cloth, thread and tape were the products used to insulate this equipment that operated at high temperatures. These products were used to form pads to fit around the large and small irregular shaped turbines and equipment as well as around the thousands of flanges and valves located throughout these ships. Rigid pre-formed pipe covering was used around regularly shaped pipes, covered with asbestos cloth, and painted to act as permanent insulation. Asbestos cement was used over all of the various insulating materials to fill cracks, form an extra layer of insulation, and provide smooth surfaces for painting.
Asbestos on Liberty Ships
During the World War II years, 2,751 Liberty ships were built in shipyards across the United States. These ships formed the backbone of the huge shipbuilding program undertaken by the United States Maritime Commission. They were powered by steam reciprocating engines, and all of the auxiliary equipment needed to operate the entire propulsion plant was steam operated. As a result, asbestos insulation was used throughout these ships to insulate the pipes, machinery, flanges, valves, and other areas where heat loss was an issue.
Shipyard Workers and Seamen At Risk
The asbestos products used in the construction of US Navy ships and Liberty ships generated asbestos dust exposing the shipyard workers to the risk of asbestos-related diseases including asbestosis and mesothelioma. The exposure to asbestos continued for the next four decades as these ships remained in service and were routinely repaired at shipyards where workers needed to disturb the asbestos insulation to make the needed repairs. Similarly, US Navy seamen as well as commercial sailors were exposed to the asbestos dust generated as they operated the asbestos-covered equipment and machinery on their ships. US Navy Veterans remain at risk for contracting asbestosis or mesothelioma because of these exposures to asbestos.
Sources: “The Navy and Asbestos Thermal Insulation,” Naval Engineering Journal, Spring, 2005.
