Bethlehem Shipyard in San Francisco, California, has been existence under different management and owners since the mid-1800s, when the original Union Iron Works was founded in the south Market area of the city. Union Iron Works, which produced railroad and mining machinery, entered the ship building business and moved to Portrero Point, where the shipyards remain. In 1905, Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation bought the shipyards and consolidated them with the Alameda Works Shipyard and the Hunters Point shipyard.

The Number One Shipyard in the U.S.

The Bethlehem Shipyard produced many merchant ships and warships. In the early 1940s, it was considered 'No. 1' of the 'Big Three' shipbuilders in the U.S. that could build any size and model ship. The Bethlehem Shipyard was significantly expanded during the WWII years following the initiation of the federal Emergency Shipbuilding Program.

Shipbuilding Workers Exposed to Asbestos

Unfortunately, thousands of Bethlehem Shipyard workers may have been exposed to toxic levels of asbestos in the course of their employment. The ships that were being constructed at this site often contained asbestos materials that acted as insulation for ship components such as:

• Boilers
• Incinerators
• Plumbing
• Ventilation

Mesothelioma, Lung Cancer, Asbestosis

Asbestos was very widely used in warships and merchant vessels in the decades before it was established that asbestos is a carcinogen. The 1940s produced many, many ships with asbestos components, and now the damage that asbestos wrought in the 40s is becoming apparent as thousands of shipyard workers have developed asbestos-caused diseases ─ lung cancer, mesothelioma, asbestosis and others.

It often takes years or even decades for the symptoms of asbestos-related respiratory diseases to show. These symptoms can include:

• Wheezing
• Uncontrollable coughing
• Chest pain
• Abdominal pain
• Ascites (fluid buildup in the abdomen)
• Fatigue
• Anemia

Learn More

If you're a former employee of Bethlehem Shipyard in San Francisco and you are experiencing symptoms of an asbestos disease, you can contact us today to learn more about the resources available to you. You may be eligible for financial compensation.