What U.S. Naval Veterans should know about hazardous asbestos.

Asbestos was used in almost every U.S. Navy vessel until the 1980s.

Between the 1930s and early 1980s, almost every vessel in the Navy was built from asbestos-based products. While we know today that asbestos poses an incredible hazard to human health, the United States Navy once relied on asbestos keep its ships and sailors safe from catastrophe and fire, placing millions of veterans at increased risk for life-threatening conditions up to and including cancer. 

After the dangers of asbestos became a recognized public health concern, the Armed Forces began the laborious but critical work of removing these deadly materials from its fleet. 

Asbestos Risks for Navy Veterans 

The Navy used asbestos-containing materials to construct naval bases, build ships, and fireproof watercraft. Since asbestos was so widespread in the Navy, former sailors may have been at higher risk of asbestos exposure than veterans who served in other branches of the armed forces. 

Many U.S. Naval veterans were exposed to asbestos products and materials while in service.

A variety of non-profit organizations and advocacy groups have identified the military occupational service codes most likely to have encountered asbestos. They include but are not limited to: 

  • Aviation fire control technicians (AQ) 
  • Boilermakers (BR) 
  • Boiler Technicians (BT)
  • Electronics Technicians (ET) 
  • Fire Controlmen (FC) 
  • Firemen (FN)
  • Pipefitters (FP) 
  • Fire Control Technicians (FT)
  • Hull Maintenance Technicians (HT) 
  • Interior Communication Technicians (IC) 
  • Instrumentmen (IM) 
  • Sonarmen (SO)
  • Soundmen (SoM)
  • Sonar Technicians (ST/STG/SOG/STS)
  • Steelworkers (SW) 
  • Torpedoman’s Mate (TM)
  • Utilitiesmen (UT) 
  • Water Tenders (WT)

No safe level of asbestos exposure for any veteran.

Not every veteran worked directly with asbestos, but many were exposed to it on ships, shipyards, bases, vehicles and even offices, or by serving in the vicinity of asbestos products. 

Some vets had greater exposure than others, but unfortunately, health researchers like the National Cancer Institute state that “the overall evidence suggests there is no safe level of asbestos exposure.”1

So even military occupations with lower levels of expected exposure, such as Machinery Repairmen (MR) and Radiomen (RM), could still be at risk for developing asbestos-related illnesses.

The Medical Dangers of Asbestos Exposure 

Asbestos is a group of six different, naturally occurring minerals. Left undisturbed, it is not inherently dangerous. Even man-made asbestos products pose little threat to human health and safety when they are stored securely and handled with car. 

However, asbestos-containing materials can degrade and crumble over time. Researchers have found that asbestos is at its most dangerous when it is friable, or broken down into small, microscopic pieces that could become airborne and disperse into the environment. If this airborne asbestos is inhaled, it could enter the lungs and infiltrate the respiratory system, causing scarring and inflammation. 

“The overall evidence suggests there is no safe level of asbestos exposure.”

Source: National Cancer Institute (NIH) 2

Since the body cannot easily process and rid itself of resilient asbestos fibers, asbestos can remain dormant in the body for years, silently attacking the lungs, heart, and other organs

Oftentimes, even as asbestos-related illnesses begin to emerge, they present no noticeable physical pain or symptoms. Some diseases, such as mesothelioma, can go undetected for decades, surfacing only when it is too late for treatment. 

US Naval Veterans may be at risk of a number of asbestos-related illnesses:

Navy veterans, especially those who worked with or around asbestos, have an increased risk for asbestos-related conditions including but not limited to: 

  • Pleural Plaques

Pleural Plaques are a medical condition characterized by the thickening of tissue around the lungs. While pleural plaques are not life-threatening, they can indicate the presence of more serious, underlying medical problems. 

  • Asbestosis

Asbestosis is a chronic respiratory illness caused by the inhalation of asbestos fibers. Asbestosis can present symptoms include shortness of breath, tiredness, and weight loss. Asbestosis can get progressively worse over time. Although physicians have way to relieve asbestosis-related symptoms, there is no cure for this condition. 

  • Mesothelioma

Mesothelioma is a malignant and unusually aggressive cancer that affects the mesothelium, the thin layer of tissue encasing the chest and surrounding the chest and many other major organs. Pleural mesothelioma, or mesothelioma of the lungs, is the most common form of this condition. However, mesothelioma can also affect other organs, including the abdomen, heart, and testicles.. 

  • Cancer

Asbestos damage can lead to multiple cancers, including cancer of the lungs, ovaries, and esophagus. Asbestos can increase the probability of developing certain cancers. For example, Navy veterans who smoke cigarettes and have a history of asbestos exposure are at significantly higher risk for lung cancer than veterans who have a history of cigarette smoking without asbestos exposure or vice versa. 

Image Asbestos Navy article body

Asbestos Aboard Navy Ships  

The United States Navy used an estimated 300 different asbestos-containing materials aboard its vessels.

Throughout the 20th century, the military—much like most private enterprises of the time—believed that asbestos was an inexpensive, durable, and safe additive to common construction materials. Asbestos, a group of naturally occurring minerals composed of thin, flexible fibers, is inherently strong, nearly impervious to corrosion, and resistant to high temperatures. For the United States Navy, asbestos provided an affordable means to protect ships from rust and limit the spread of fire. 

Many areas and parts of U.S. Naval vessels were contained asbestos products and materials:

The Navy used an assortment of asbestos-containing products, including but not limited to:

  • Boilers
  • Cement powders 
  • Deck and floor tiles 
  • Electrical wire coatings 
  • Fireboxes 
  • Furnace wraps 
  • Gaskets 
  • Instruments and paneling 
  • Pipes
  • Pumps
  • Sealing and adhesives 
  • Spray-on insulations 
  • Soundproofing materials 
  • Valves 

Naval Vessels of all classes contained asbestos:

Asbestos was used to manufacture parts and components for most types of naval ships commission before the early 1980s, including:

  • Aircraft carriers 
  • Amphibious warships
  • Auxiliary vessels 
  • Battleships 
  • Cruisers 
  • Destroyers
  • Destroyer escorts 
  • Escort carriers 
  • Frigates
  • Merchant Marine ships 
  • Minesweepers
  • Submarines 

Asbestos Clean-Up Efforts and Activities 

The United States Navy began piloting its first asbestos abatement programs in the 1970s

These programs were designed to address growing concerns about the adverse effects of occupational asbestos exposure. 

The Navy instituted a number of directives as part of its asbestos abatement initiative, including:

  • Tracking the health symptoms and outcomes of veterans who had been exposed to asbestos. 
  • Restricting high-risk asbestos areas to trained personnel outfitted with OSHA-approved safety equipment. 
  • Gradually removing and replacing asbestos materials from in-service ships. 
  • Generally prohibiting the use of asbestos-containing materials in modern vessels.

In some cases, the Navy found that some of its older ships contained such high concentrations of asbestos that it was more economical to write them off as waste and use them as target practice than try rehabilitating them. 

Asbestos has been removed from most vessels, but not all U.S. Naval veterans.

Once inhaled or ingested, some asbestos fibers never leave the body. 

While the armed forces have made definite efforts to improve service-people’s safety, the Navy only stopped using asbestos-containing materials in the early 1980s—years after the risks of asbestos exposure were a matter of public record. Nobody knows exactly how many veterans could have been exposed to asbestos, but they likely number in the millions.

“Some asbestos fibers may bypass…your body’s natural defenses…and lodge deep within your lungs. Those fibers can remain in place for a very long time and may never be removed.”

Source: American Lung Association

Any former sailor, shipyard worker, or civilian contractor who worked aboard or around Navy ships between the 1930s and 1990s could be at risk for serious asbestos-related conditions. 

Speak to your healthcare provider about imaging and other screening techniques to detect asbestos damage. Early detection is everything.

AsbestosClaims.Law

AsbestosClaims.law is your comprehensive resource for all things asbestos. We hope this information is helpful.

If you have any additional questions or concerns related to asbestos, check out our website and YouTube page for videos, infographics and answers to your questions about asbestos, including health and safety, asbestos testing, removing asbestos from your home and building, and legal information about compensation for asbestos injuries.

And if you believe that you were exposed to asbestos, or have been diagnosed with an asbestos illness, you could be entitled to significant compensation—money you could use to cover the costs of asbestos removal services, pay for medical treatment, and preemptively protect your physical well-being. 

All without filing a lawsuit.

If you’d like help with filing a claim, please get in touch by email at [email protected], or call or text us at (833) 4-ASBESTOS (427-2378) or (206) 455-9190. We’ll listen to your story and explain your options. And we never charge for anything unless you receive money in your pocket.

1 National Cancer Institute (NIH), Asbestos Fact Sheet.
2 National Cancer Institute (NIH), Asbestos Fact Sheet.