Formerly known as the Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Company (NNS), the Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding (NGS) Corporation is the result of a 2008 merger between Grumman Newport News and the Northrop Grumman Ship Systems. While this recent merger resulted in a name change for this Virginian shipbuilding facility, NGS is comprised of companies that have been building ships in Virginia since 1886.
In addition to servicing military ships, Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding is the only American outfit that designs and builds nuclear aircraft carriers. Similarly, it is also one of two shipbuilders in the U.S. that designs and builds nuclear submarines. Among its many distinctions, NGS is home to the largest crane in the western hemisphere.
Working at Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding
The NGS facilities spread over 550 acres and two miles of waterfront land in Newport News, Virginia. On this property, Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding consists of:
- 8 drydocks
- 4 outfitting piers
- 2 outfitting berths
- a steel fabrication center (that spans 11 acres)
- machine shops (that span around 300,000 square feet)
- an apprentice school
With these facilities and over 21,000 employees, Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding is well equipped to service, build, research or deconstruct both military and commercial watercraft.
Asbestos Exposure at Newport News Shipbuilding (NGS)
Like many major shipbuilding facilities, Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding regularly puts some of its employees in hazardous environments, particularly when it comes to asbestos exposure. Given the hands-on nature of the construction, demolition and repair work that takes place at NGS, workers are susceptible to inhaling toxic asbestos fibers as they work with:
- cements, caulking and tars
- drywall
- fireproofed equipment
- industrial ovens
- insulation
- pipes
- ropes
- shingles
- small appliances
- tiles
In addition to coming into contact with these asbestos-laden materials, shipyard workers are at a particularly heightened risk of dangerous asbestos exposure due to the small, poorly ventilated nature of the ships in which they work. While massive aircraft carriers and other water vessels may be large in total size, much of the service, construction and deconstruction work takes place within the cramped areas of these ships, increasing the amounts of asbestos workers can inhale.
If you are a shipyard worker and you have been diagnosed with an asbestos-related disease, contact us today. We’ll help you explore your options
