Lyon Shipyard is located on both the north and south shores of the Elizabeth River, near Norfolk, Virginia. The shipyard is near the U.S. Naval Base and Chesapeake Bay. It was founded in 1928, and after 80 years, the yard still employs about 120 people.
Dry-Docking, Repairs and Conversion
Nowadays, Lyon Shipyard does dry-docking, ship repair, and conversion of ships under 400 feet long. In the World War II years, Lyon Shipyard worked on small U.S. Navy vessels. After the war, the shipyard returned to its main client base of non-military customers, with some government and military contracts.
Asbestos in the Shipyard
Like all shipyards in the U.S. and around the world, in the years before the 1970s there were few if any safety precautions at Lyon Shipyard regarding the asbestos products on site. Asbestos was used very widely in ships — both military and commercial. Asbestos was thought of as a perfect insulator and heat-resistant material aboard ships.
However, the dangers of asbestos, whether or not they were understood by shipyard owners, were not the subject of strict regulation until the latter third of the twentieth century. Shipyard workers were often regularly exposed to dangerously high levels of asbestos dust.
Asbestos Dust Is Toxic
The fibers of which asbestos is composed are deadly. When a human being inhales or ingests a significant amount of asbestos fiber dust, the fibers can stay in the lungs and other internal organs, beginning a disease process that can culminate in asbestosis, mesothelioma, or other cancers.
Asbestos at Lyon Shipyard
If you have an asbestos-related disease and you worked at Lyon Shipyard, contact us for more information about your options.
