Kane Shipbuilding and Boiler Works in Galveston was among the many smaller shipyards in Texas that built ships for the U.S. Navy, Coast Guard, Maritime Commission, and Army. For example, Kane Shipbuilding made 12 inshore tankers and 16 deck barges for the U.S. Army.
Former Kane Shipbuilding Employees
Although Kane Shipbuilding is no longer in existence, some of the people who worked at this shipyard are still living. Like shipyard workers the world over, the former Kane Shipyard employees are at a greater-than-normal risk of having developed an asbestos-caused disease such as:
- Mesothelioma
- Lung cancer (small-cell and non-small-cell)
- Cancer in other internal organs, such as the stomach
- asbestosis
- Other respiratory diseases
Asbestos at the Shipyard
The higher incidence of asbestos-related diseases among shipyard workers is directly traced to the prevalence of asbestos products used in the construction of seagoing vessels, including the types of vessels made at Kane Shipbuilding. In the decades before the 1980s, when the uses of asbestos began to be curtailed, there were literally hundreds of ship components that contained asbestos.
Direct or Indirect Exposure
The shipyard workers who installed, repaired or removed these asbestos-containing parts — and other workers in the area — were exposed to alarming levels of asbestos in the air. Asbestos is made of millions of tiny fibers that are released when an asbestos product is manipulated or in poor condition (due to weather or aging, for example).
Learn More about Asbestos at Kane Shipbuilding
It's unlikely that Kane Shipbuilding had adequate precautions against asbestos. Contact us online for more information about asbestos-related illnesses among shipyard workers.
