Military Shipyard Personnel Asbestos Exposure

Military Shipyard Personnel Asbestos Exposure

VA specifically identifies shipyard work as a military occupation that may have involved asbestos exposure. VA’s Veterans Health Library also states that asbestos-containing materials were widely used in Navy shipbuilding and construction materials and identifies Navy veterans who worked in shipyards from the 1930s through the 1990s among service members who may have been at risk.

Shipyard assignment alone does not prove a particular exposure. A stronger history identifies the yard, ship or vessel, dates, occupation, shop or work area, repair or overhaul task, and the asbestos-containing material that may have been disturbed. This page is part of the Military Occupations Asbestos Exposure hub within the U.S. Military Veterans Asbestos Exposure silo.

Military Shipyard Personnel and Trades to Research

Naval and military shipyards brought many trades together during construction, modernization, overhaul, repair, and maintenance. Exposure research should focus on the work actually performed and nearby trades rather than relying on a job title alone.

• Pipefitters, plumbers, and steam-system personnel
• Boiler operators and boiler-repair personnel
• Machinists, mechanics, and equipment-maintenance workers
• Welders, shipfitters, and metalworking personnel
• Electricians and electrical-maintenance workers
• Insulators, carpenters, painters, laborers, and cleanup crews

VA specifically identifies pipefitters, welders, and boiler operators among occupations that may have had exposure. Compare individual duties with High-Risk Military Occupations for Asbestos Exposure.

Ships, Shops and Shipyard Work Areas

VA identifies Navy ships built before the mid-1970s and notes asbestos-containing materials in engine rooms, boiler rooms, and other below-deck areas for fire-safety purposes. Shipyard personnel could also work in fabrication shops, repair areas, dry docks, piers, warehouses, mechanical shops, and other facilities supporting vessel maintenance.

Use the Military Ships Asbestos Exposure hub to research vessel environments and the Military Shipyards Asbestos Exposure hub for yard-specific research. The Military Buildings & Facilities Asbestos Exposure hub can help when exposure investigation involves shore-side shops or support buildings.

Shipboard Products and Components to Research

VA identifies historical military asbestos use in friction products and heat-resistant materials including brakes, gaskets, valves, cements, adhesives, floor coverings, and pipe coverings known as lagging. Navy shipboard research may also involve insulation and other thermal materials used around high-temperature machinery and piping.

Not every component or replacement product contained asbestos. Use the Military Products Asbestos Exposure hub and High-Risk Asbestos Components Used by Veterans to narrow product type, manufacturer, installation period, replacement history, and the maintenance task that may have disturbed the material.

Construction, Overhaul and Repair Exposure Pathways

VA explains that asbestos is most hazardous when asbestos-containing material becomes friable or is damaged or disturbed, allowing fibers to become airborne. Shipyard work could involve removal and replacement of older insulation, lagging, gaskets, packing, friction products, and other materials during vessel construction, repair, or overhaul.

• Removing or replacing pipe and machinery insulation
• Cutting or stripping damaged lagging
• Opening flanges, valves, pumps, or equipment containing older gaskets or packing
• Boiler and steam-system repair
• Grinding, scraping, cleanup, or demolition near disturbed materials
• Working near other trades removing asbestos-containing products

The specific ship, compartment, task, material, and service period should be documented before drawing conclusions about exposure.

Records for Documenting Shipyard Exposure

Useful evidence may include DD Form 214 information, MOS/rating/AFSC records, personnel files, duty stations, ship assignments, shipyard assignments, overhaul schedules, deck logs, work packages, repair orders, technical manuals, ship plans, parts records, shop records, procurement documents, photographs, and credible coworker statements.

Use the Military Records & Documentation for Asbestos Exposure hub and How to Request Complete Service Records to establish assignments and occupational history. Veterans who remember a shipyard, vessel, or repair task but cannot identify the asbestos source can use Veterans Help With Identifying Asbestos Exposure to organize the evidence without guessing.

Shipyard Exposure and VA Claims

VA states that veterans may be eligible for disability compensation when they have a health condition caused by asbestos exposure and had contact with asbestos during military service. Relevant evidence includes medical records, service records listing the veteran’s job or specialty, and medical evidence connecting military asbestos exposure with the health condition.

VA decides asbestos compensation claims case by case. A shipyard assignment can support the exposure investigation, but exposure itself is not a service-connected disability. Veterans researching benefits can continue to the VA Benefits & Claims for Veterans With Mesothelioma hub. Separate civil-claim and survivor information is organized under the Veterans Asbestos Legal Options hub.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does VA recognize shipyard work as a potential asbestos exposure occupation?

Yes. VA specifically lists shipyard work among occupations in which veterans may have been exposed to asbestos.

Which Navy shipyard veterans may warrant closer exposure research?

VA’s Veterans Health Library identifies Navy veterans who worked in shipyards from the 1930s through the 1990s, when asbestos-containing material was widely used in shipbuilding and construction materials, as a potentially at-risk group.

Which ship areas are important to research?

VA identifies engine and boiler rooms and other below-deck areas as historical locations where asbestos-containing materials were used. The actual vessel, compartment, component, and maintenance task should still be documented.

Which shipyard trades may have encountered disturbed asbestos?

VA specifically mentions pipefitters, welders, and boiler operators. Other trades require case-specific research into the products and work areas involved.

What records can help establish shipyard work?

Personnel files, occupational records, duty stations, ship assignments, overhaul schedules, work packages, repair orders, technical records, ship plans, shop records, and coworker statements may help reconstruct the work.

Where should veterans continue their research?

Start with the Military Shipyards Asbestos Exposure hub for yard-specific research and the Military Ships Asbestos Exposure hub for vessel-specific exposure history.

Confirmed Sources

• VA Public Health — Asbestos
• VA — Veterans Asbestos Exposure
• VA Veterans Health Library — Veteran Exposure to Asbestos
• Veterans Benefits Administration — Asbestos Exposure Compensation
• Naval History and Heritage Command — USS Constellation 1983 Overhaul Report

Document the Military Shipyard Work History

Record the shipyard, vessel, unit, dates, occupation, shop, compartment, repair or overhaul period, tasks performed, and suspected products or components. Compare those facts with personnel records, ship plans, overhaul files, work packages, technical manuals, parts records, procurement documents, and coworker evidence before concluding that a particular material contained asbestos. Return to the Military Occupations Asbestos Exposure hub for additional occupation research.

Call 800.291.0963 for a no-obligation case evaluation and to speak with a real person 24/7, 365 days a year. Mesothelioma Help Center is not a law firm or medical provider and does not determine VA eligibility.