Located in Washington State, the Masco Shipyard is among the many industrial environments where workers have been unsafely exposed to asbestos for decades. Unfortunately, while asbestos regulations are in place to minimize shipyard workers' exposure to asbestos, it's too late for those workers who have already developed significant health complications.
How Asbestos Exposure Occurs at the Masco Shipyard
Like other shipyards, the Masco Shipyard performs a variety of naval services, which over the years have included:
- building ships
- deconstructing ships (which can include both scraping and recycling parts)
- repairing and modernizing watercraft
- storing unused vessels
With this range of work, employees at the Masco Shipyard have come into contact with a large number of asbestos-laden materials and equipment, including:
- drywall and stucco
- gaskets and small machine parts
- fire-resistant clothing and gear
- industrial kilns, boilers and ovens
- pipe and electrical insulation
- textiles and ropes
- tars, sealants and sprays
Over a decade or two of consistent asbestos exposure, shipyard workers can develop some serious, life-threatening health complications.
Health Complications of Asbestos Exposure
Masco Shipyard workers, along with shipyard employees in general, have developed the following conditions as a result of prolonged asbestos exposure:
- asbestosis
- esophageal cancer
- larynx cancer
- lung cancer
- mesothelioma
- oral cancer
Without early diagnosis and immediate treatment, these conditions can trigger the spread of cancers, further limiting patients' survival time.
Tragically, most shipyard workers aren't diagnosed with an asbestos disease until decades after their exposure, as these conditions tend to lie latent until they have progressed to later, less treatable stages.
If you are a shipyard worker—former or present—who has developed an asbestos-related disease such as mesothelioma, it’s important for you to seek help as soon as possible. Contact us today to learn more about your financial and legal options.
