Coast Guard and Asbestos Exposure
Asbestos Exposure in the Coast Guard
Like their Navy counterparts, Coast Guardsmen and personnel were especially susceptible to asbestos exposure. The effectiveness of asbestos as a durable fire retardant and as a thermal and electrical insulator prompted military ship builders to use it extensively on every vessel commissioned between the 1930s and the early 1970s. The constant exposure to sailors was so great that an estimated 40 percent of all mesothelioma patients in the United States are military veterans.
Some ways in which asbestos was used aboard ships include:
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- Miscellaneous insulating materials such as floor tiles, ceiling tile, or outdoor siding and roofing
- Thermal insulation in the form of pipe lagging, pipe wrap, batt, and cements
- Surfacing material that is sprayed or spread with a trowel onto surfaces to provide fireproofing or sound dampening
Boilers and any equipment generating heat were also heavily coated with asbestos. To reduce heat transfer which in turn saved energy, pipes running throughout the ship—including above bunks in sleeping quarters—were insulated with asbestos. It wasn’t unusual for seamen to wake up covered with small flakes of deadly asbestos fibers. Even the hulls and inner compartments were lined with asbestos as a fire retardant.
A Coast Guardsmen's risk is directly related to the length of exposure to asbestos fibers. Although all Guardsmen faced potential exposure, some jobs carried greater risk than others, including:
- Shipyard workers
- Pipefitters
- Boiler workers
- Electricians
- Plumbers
- Insulators
New Exposures Emerging for Coast Guard Veterans
It has long been recognized that there are three main ways for Coast Guardsmen to be exposed to deadly asbestos: in a product containing asbestos, such as insulation; through equipment or commercial buildings which contain asbestos fibers; and in workplaces not under Coast Guard control (examples of this include crewmembers working in commercial shipyards during vessel renovation).
It is now also known that Coast Guardsmen were exposed to asbestos in their living quarters. According to an environmental disclaimer published by the Coast Guard, housing built prior to 1981 may contain materials made with asbestos, as well as lead-based paint.
Although the Coast Guard must now disclose the presence of known asbestos-containing material before assigning personnel to older living quarters, past personnel were unaware of the dangers. Since mesothelioma can take up to 40 years to emerge, an unknown number of Coast Guard veterans remain at risk for mesothelioma, asbestosis and other serious illnesses.
About Asbestos Exposure and Mesothelioma
Asbestos is a generic term used to describe a group of minerals commonly used in commercial manufacturing. The minerals are processed to become very thin fibers that are contained in many products. Asbestos fibers are found in thermal insulation, cement products, ceiling tiles and fireproofing – materials which many Guardsmen are exposed to on a daily basis. When the fibers are intact, asbestos is a safe, inexpensive product. But when the fibers break down and are inhaled, asbestos becomes a dangerous and deadly health hazard.
The most devastating diseases caused by asbestos are lung cancer, asbestosis and mesothelioma. Asbestosis is a chronic respiratory disease that causes scar tissue to form in the lungs. The disease impairs breathing and increases the risk of severe respiratory infections. Mesothelioma is a life-threatening and progressive cancer that attacks the tissue surrounding the lungs and sometimes the heart.
Compensation for Coast Guard Veterans Who Were Exposed to Asbestos
Evidence shows that despite its known dangers, companies and manufacturers chose to continue using asbestos in their products rather than incur the cost of changing materials.
Coast Guard veterans who came into contact with asbestos during their service have the legal right to sue the manufacturers that produced and sold the asbestos used in military applications.
If you are a Coast Guard veteran who was exposed to asbestos as a result of these companies’ disregard for safety, you may want to see them held accountable for their careless actions. A qualified mesothelioma attorney can help you begin your mesothelioma lawsuit, and get the financial compensation you and your family need—and deserve.