The Key Highway Shipyard at the Inner Harbor of Baltimore, Maryland, was a 424-acre facility that employed almost 11,000 people at the height of its operations during World War II. Ship repair and shipbuilding were the main activities at this yard, but the conversion of merchant ships to vessels for the U.S. Navy was also a focus during the war years.

The Key Highway Shipyard was a Bethlehem Steel Corporation business. Today the Shipyard no longer exists; Baltimore developments such as condominiums have gradually taken over the site since the shipyard's closing in 1982.

Asbestos Exposure at the Key Highway Shipyard

As is the case with essentially all shipyards operating in the first three-quarters of the twentieth century, there were inadequate protections against the dangers of asbestos at the Key Highway Shipyard. The men and women who worked at the Shipyard may have been exposed to toxic levels of asbestos, a mineral that was eventually found to be a human carcinogen.

Diseases Attributed to Asbestos

Mesothelioma (cancer of the mesothelium, the chest cavity's lining), lung cancer (both small cell lung cancer and non-small cell lung cancer), asbestosis, and other diseases are the potential outcomes of exposure to toxic levels of asbestos. Although asbestos is present at low levels everywhere, asbestos products such as those commonly used in shipbuilding provided a risk of severely elevated asbestos exposure.

Symptoms of Asbestos Poisoning

The symptoms of asbestos poisoning may include chest or abdominal pain, shortness of breath, wheezing or coughing, ascites, and fatigue. Often, the symptoms of an asbestos-caused disease do not show up until years, sometimes decades, after the asbestos exposure occurs. Many people who worked in shipyards in the 1940s, 50s or 60s are only now experiencing the symptoms of asbestos diseases.

If you have been diagnosed with an asbestos-caused illness, contact us for assistance and information.