Asbestos Exposure on Navy Ships

Why Was Asbestos Used on Navy Ships?

Asbestos was used on U.S. Navy vessels built before 1980 because it protected the ships from fire and other extreme temperatures. However, high levels of exposure to asbestos on Navy ships caused many veterans to develop mesothelioma and other diseases.

Until the mid-1970s, builders used more than 300 asbestos-containing materials in naval ships. By then, the public was more aware of the health risks of asbestos.

Asbestos exposure is the primary cause of mesothelioma. It may also cause several other asbestos-related diseases. Veterans with illnesses from asbestos exposure during service are entitled to disability pay. There are benefits for the spouses of veterans who died of service-related cancer.

To secure a VA claim for these benefits, the claimant must specify when, where and how they were exposed to asbestos in the military. The VA must know which asbestos materials on Navy ships caused the exposure during the veteran’s service.

Types of Navy Ships With Asbestos

Asbestos contamination wasn’t limited to one specific class of vessel. Manufacturers used asbestos in everything from destroyers to aircraft carriers.

The most concentrated exposure was below deck, in places like the engine and boiler rooms. These areas had little ventilation. However, service members were still exposed on deck. They repaired asbestos-containing products such as deck matting and tiles.

The Navy has addressed the safety of asbestos on retired ships. It requires all staff to know the dangers of asbestos and follow safety procedures. It also orders all commanding officers to make sure personnel are aware of safe handling procedures.

Common Areas of Asbestos Exposure on Navy Ships

Common areas of asbestos exposure on Navy ships included engine rooms and boiler rooms as well as mess halls and sleeping barracks. The material can insulate against fire or heat while also strengthening other compounds. This is why asbestos was so prevalent across Navy vessels.

Engine Rooms and Boiler Rooms

Engine and boiler rooms on Navy ships generate extreme levels of heat. That’s why both locations contain large amounts of asbestos insulation. Asbestos is fire-resistant, making it an ideal material to insulate these areas to protect equipment and servicemembers.

Pipe Insulation and Gaskets

Asbestos was also used in pipe insulation and gaskets on Navy ships. Its fireproofing and low cost made it ideal for insulating against heat from pipes and turbines. The risk of exposure increases significantly during maintenance and repair. Servicemembers working near asbestos could inhale any airborne fibers.

Mess Halls and Sleeping Quarters

Common areas on Navy ships, like mess halls, also contained asbestos. Servicemembers spent most of their downtime in these areas, placing them at risk of exposure. Pipes coated with asbestos for insulation ran through mess halls and sleeping quarters. Poor ventilation in these areas increases the risk of asbestos exposure.

Shipbuilding and Repairs

Navy veterans who worked in shipbuilding or shipyard repairs exposed themselves to asbestos. Many products used to build and repair ships contained asbestos to strengthen parts. Along with fireproofing and strengthening qualities, asbestos can also prevent corrosion from saltwater. Handling, cutting or drilling the materials can release harmful asbestos fibers into the air.

Items on Navy Ships Containing Asbestos

Equipment above and below deck contained products with asbestos. They packed it inside, sprayed it on or embedded it in the material. Major sources of exposure included boilers, pipes, pumps and valves. 

Boilers had external insulation with 15% asbestos. They also had loose asbestos packing and asbestos gaskets. Insulation coated a sprawling network of pipes with a felt layer that contained 5% to 50% asbestos.

Machinist’s mates risked asbestos exposure when replacing worn asbestos gaskets in pumps. These pumps powered the heating, cooling and bilge systems. Navy crew members, including pipefitters and boiler operators, were also exposed. They worked with valves on ships with asbestos gaskets, insulation and packing. 

Most naval personnel were not required to wear air masks or wet down asbestos before removal. These methods helped limit asbestos fibers from becoming airborne. A lack of enforcement of safety measures increased the risk of asbestos exposure on board.

Navy Ship Jobs With High Asbestos Exposure

Many occupations on Navy ships, from gunner’s mates and machinery repairmen to pipefitters and welders, posed a high risk of asbestos exposure. Historical documents, war diaries, letters, ship databases and anecdotal information confirm these hazards.

Sailors are at the highest risk of asbestos exposure, according to a 2021 study published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. Unlike shipyard workers, sailors work and live on the Navy ships. Sailors were exposed to asbestos 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Bob Niemiec, a U.S. Navy veteran, worked on the U.S.S. Hermitage. He encountered asbestos there and later developed mesothelioma. Bob’s first assignment when joining the Navy in 1965 was to scrape paint off the landing ship. That paint contained asbestos. Bob tells the Mesothelioma Center at Asbestos.com that, years later, he felt the effects of his asbestos exposure.

A recent study in the International Journal of Radiation Biology assessed 114,000 Navy veterans. The study found that Navy machinist’s mates, boiler techs, pipe fitters, fire control techs and water tenders had the highest mesothelioma death rates.

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Health Risks of Asbestos Exposure for Navy Veterans

Asbestos exposure has harmed many veterans’ health. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the International Agency for Research on Cancer classify it as carcinogenic. The IARC says there is enough evidence linking asbestos to mesothelioma.

Navy veterans are at a higher risk of asbestos-related diseases than other veterans. The U.S. Navy used large quantities of asbestos on many ships. Asbestos fibers can be embedded in the lungs if unprotected workers inhale them. The embedded fibers can cause irritation and scarring.

Exposure to asbestos can cause mesothelioma, lung cancer and other diseases. These include laryngeal and ovarian cancers, COPD and asbestosis. Exposure can also cause mesothelioma many years later. Mesothelioma usually takes 20 to 60 years to develop after asbestos exposure. The time frame depends on the level of exposure, age and other health factors.

Asbestos causes cellular and genetic damage over decades. It can lead to tumors and malignant mesothelioma. The outlook for patients with pleural mesothelioma, the most common cancer, is often poor.

Legal Options for Navy Veterans Exposed to Asbestos

Navy veterans can seek compensation for illnesses linked to asbestos. They have several ways to do so. Veterans seeking mesothelioma compensation don’t sue the Navy. They sue the companies that made asbestos products used on Navy ships. Many of these lawsuits have been successful. They resulted in settlements and verdicts that covered medical expenses, travel costs and lost wages.

Many of the sailors, officers and shipyard workers with asbestos diseases are also eligible for VA benefits. They may be able to file claims with asbestos trust funds. Asbestos companies set up these funds when they went bankrupt. This lets future claimants use them for compensation.

“The professionalism and expert advice The Mesothelioma Center at Asbestos.com extended to us was truly a blessing as we dealt with my father’s mesothelioma.”, Steve Reeck, son of a mesothelioma patient says. “The advocacy group’s expert guidance and advice dealing with the Veterans Administration was a miracle for my family. Thank you for everything.” 

Asbestos on Navy Ships Today

Asbestos-containing ships are still in service. But there are fewer products containing asbestos onboard Navy ships and in shipyards today. Asbestos is still permitted if another alternative isn’t available. The Navy doesn’t make it public when it approves the use of asbestos on ships today. This makes it difficult to assess how often it happens. 

The Navy has taken action to remove existing asbestos from its ships. But as the material becomes more brittle with age, removal becomes more difficult. It can be more hazardous to worker health if proper safety guidelines aren’t followed.

As of October 2024, the Navy has approximately 530 ships both in active service and the reserve fleet. Approximately 85 more vessels are in the planning or construction phases.

Bob Niemiec

Verified Asbestos.com Survivor

Mesothelioma Survivor, a Navy Veteran, Defies the Odds

Navy veteran Bob Niemiec entered the Navy in 1965 at the age of 20. His first assignment out of boot camp was to scrape paint off of the landing ship U.S.S. Hermitage. It turns out the paint he was scraping contained asbestos. Niemiec said he didn’t feel the effects of the asbestos exposure until many years later, about 30 years after his stint in the Navy.

Bob Niemiec

Verified Asbestos.com Survivor

Read Bob’s Story

Common Questions About Asbestos on Navy Ships

What are the health risks associated with asbestos exposure on Navy ships?

Asbestos exposure can cause restrictive and interstitial lung diseases, asbestosis, pleural plaques and mesothelioma cancer of the pleura and peritoneum in Navy servicemembers. It can also cause cancers of the lung, bronchus, gastrointestinal tract, larynx, pharynx and urogenital system (except the prostate).

Answered By: Aaron Munz, Director of Veterans Department & Former U.S. Army Captain

Are Navy ship workers still at risk of asbestos exposure today?

Some older Navy ships with keels laid before 1983 may still have some asbestos materials and equipment. Current regulations are stricter about its use and presence today. Asbestos must be clearly labeled now. Personnel who are required to work with asbestos equipment should receive training and personal protective equipment.

Answered By: Aaron Munz, Director of Veterans Department & Former U.S. Army Captain

Did the Navy take any precautions to protect sailors from asbestos exposure?

Beginning in the late 1970s, the Navy began replacing asbestos materials on ships where a suitable alternative existed. In the 1980s ships went through yard periods to remove and replace asbestos. Today, regulations require labeling and safe handling for any remaining asbestos in use.

Answered By: Aaron Munz, Director of Veterans Department & Former U.S. Army Captain?

How can I find out what ship my family member was on in the Navy?

You can find out what ship your father or other family members were on in several ways. You can contact the National Personnel Records Center. The organization holds all personnel data for the U.S. military and civil service.

You may also use resources offered by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. You can request a copy of the DD-214 form through the VA or the National Archives. The form is a Certificate of Release or Discharge from active duty. The U.S. Department of Defense issues the form. The DD-214 includes details that verify military service, the character of discharge, benefits, duty stations, assignments, qualifications, licenses and certificates.

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