Sources of Asbestos Exposure / Asbestos in the U.S. Navy / List of Ship Classes / Asbestos on Frigates

Traditionally, a frigate is a small, sturdy warship that has all its weapons on the top deck. Larger ships-of-the-line, such as large battle cruisers, often have weapons on the upper deck and on a lower deck. Since the beginnings of modern navies in the 17th century, frigates were mostly escort vessels. In modern times, they’re also seek-and-destroy vessels. To accomplish this task, many frigates carry advanced guided missiles and other powerful ordnance.

The first American frigates, including the USS Constitution (Old Ironsides), set sail in the late 1790s. Later, the hazards of asbestos on frigates became widely known. Nevertheless, mostly because non-asbestos replacement materials weren’t available, the Navy kept using asbestos until 1975. This fireproofing and insuraling substance has been linked with a number of serious, and usually fatal, illnesses.

US Naval Veterans At-Risk for Asbestos Exposure Aboard Frigates

The young U.S. navy needed a fleet of sturdy, oceangoing vessels which had ample firepower but didn’t take as long to build as ships-of-the-line. Frigates fit that bill nicely. In later years, these needs meant that shipbuilders used substantial amounts of asbestos in frigates.

Areas of US Naval Frigates that Contained Asbestos

Sailors who worked on frigates in the following areas are especially at risk for asbestos exposure illnesses:

• Electrical Systems: Asbestos doesn’t conduct electricity and is waterproof. Therefore, most electrical wires are wrapped in asbestos-laced paper. This paper gets handled a lot and tears easily.
• Gas Turbines: Fire, both accidental and combat-related, is the greatest danger on board frigates. Asbestos is fireproof, and gas turbines generate more heat than almost any other ship system. U.S. Navy shipbuilders used asbestos extensively in engineer rooms, until 1975.
• Mess Halls: These areas don’t have extensive electrical work or pose significant fire risk. However, they do have lots of asbestos, usually in the walls, ceilings, and floor tiles. Asbestos-laced tiles are especially hazardous, since floors get walked on.

One microscopic asbestos fiber could cause cancers like mesothelioma and serious lung diseases like asbestosis.

US Naval Veterans with Asbestos-Related Illnesses Can Receive Compensation for their Injuries

No matter how much time passes between exposure and illness, these victims usually have legal options.

Most asbestos exposure illnesses are presumptively disabling conditions, under VA disability guidelines. These victims could also file defective product claims against the asbestos manufacturer, or a claim with a multi-billion dollar asbestos victim compensation fund.