U.S. Naval Shipyard (CA)

The U.S. Naval Shipyard in San Francisco, California has a long history of shipbuilding. The yard was originally a commercial shipyard, established at Portrero Point in 1870. For a time in the early 1900s, the shipyard's 1,000-foot-long drydocks were considered the largest in the world. The U.S. Navy began using the docks as a mid-point between Bremerton, Washington and San Diego.

One of the Largest Shipyards on the West Coast

The U.S. Naval Shipyard eventually became one of the largest shipyards on the west coast, and in 1941, the Navy renamed it Hunters Point Naval Shipyard. The World War II years were very active times at the shipyard, and in 1969, the shipyard was used as the location of the U.S. Naval Radiological Defense Laboratory.

The Radiological Defense Laboratory left many areas of the shipyard contaminated with radioactivity. The shipyard and the adjacent Naval base were closed in 1994.

Asbestos Exposure at the U.S. Naval Shipyard

As is true of all shipyards around the world, the U.S. Naval Shipyard in California did not have adequate safety precautions regarding asbestos until the government started mandating such precautions in the latter part of the 20th century.

Thousands of shipyard workers were subjected to dangerous levels of asbestos as part of their jobs ─ whether as boilermakers, machinist's mates, construction workers, steelworkers, insulation installers, or others. Many shipyard workers remember seeing (and passing through) clouds of asbestos dust on a frequent basis as part of their workday. Others worked directly with asbestos-containing materials such as gaskets, insulation, or asbestos welding cloths.

The Ravages of Asbestos

If you have been diagnosed with an asbestos-related disease after your time at the U.S. Naval Shipyard, you have legal rights that should be protected. Contact us for more information.