Naval Air
Boston shipyard and use of asbestos
Located in Charlestown, Massachusetts, Charlestown Navy Yard was among the construction sites Naval first in the nation. It operated from 1801 to 1974, and was called the Boston Naval Shipyard since 1945. Like many other sites United States, the Boston Naval Shipyard used asbestos.
The Secretary of the Navy opened the Boston shipyard to build ships to defend the country and repair those that had been damaged. USS Independence was the first ship built at the shipyard in Boston in the Navy, and many other Navy ships followed. Escorts, barracks ships, submarines, destroyers, tank landing ships and tugs Motor were among the vessels built at Boston Naval Shipyard. Shipyard Boston also been used to repair and store Navy ships.
The Boston shipyard has been active in several different wars, including the Spanish American War, WWI and WWII. During the Second World War, the Boston Navy Yard employees with a record 50,000 workers. This was mainly due to an array of attacks by German submarines destroyed and sank a number of vessels war.
The site of Massachusetts employed a variety of workers, including blacksmiths, ship builders, machinists, electricians, manufacturers sails, plumbers and carpenters. Unfortunately, many of these workers may have been exposed to toxic asbestos minerals. Asbestos means a group of six minerals that have been used for their heat resistance and insulating properties. For this reason, asbestos has been used in many industries, including shipbuilding, from the late 1800s until its ban in the late 1900s. When products containing asbestos are damaged or disturbed, tiny asbestos fibers are released into the air and can be inhaled into the lungs. Finally, these asbestos fibers can cause the development of mesothelioma , Asbestosis and lung cancer.
The Boston Navy Yard used asbestos throughout the shipbuilding process, especially after the beginning of the steel and metal hulls and various other parts. According to the U.S. Navy, about 300 products containing asbestos were regularly used in the process of shipbuilding. Although the health effects of asbestos exposure have been recorded since the 1920s, those working with the ore were not aware of its dangers to mid-late 1900s. Consequently, many workers, including builders, veterans of the Navy and Navy contractors, may have been exposed to asbestos fibers in dangerous quantities. While the Navy has banned the use of asbestos in 1973, many workers already been exposed to harmful minerals.
In 1974, the Boston Navy Yard has been arrested as part of a plan Government cost cutting. As the dangers of asbestos was released in the 1970s, asbestos products in the yard been cleaned and removed properly. Several acres of the Navy shipyard in Boston are now part of Boston National Historical Park.
About the Author
A mesothelioma law firm, The Shepard Law Firm represents mesothelioma victims and their families throughout Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont and Rhode Island. If you or a loved one has developed mesothelioma, contact the mesothelioma attorneys at The Shepard Law Firm for a free legal consultation.
