Seward Ships Drydock was originally located on Resurrection Bay in Seward, Alaska, about 125 miles from Anchorage. It began repairing fishing vessels in 1973, before the federal and state regulations limiting the use of asbestos were implemented. The company was very successful, eventually necessitating a move to the current service site at Lowell Point, Alaska.
Repairing Old Vessels
Seward Ships Drydock is now an 11-acre facility that services vessels of all sizes, from oil tankers to rowboats. Because the nature of the work at Seward Ships Drydock is the repair of older and poor-condition vessels, the many employees who were with Seward Ships Drydock in its early years may well have been exposed to asbestos.
Asbestos Was Widely Used
Asbestos was a very commonly used material in ship construction in the decades before the dangers of asbestos became well known. The fire- and friction-resistant properties of asbestos made it seem like an ideal insulating material for ships' boilers, incinerators, ventilation and pipes. Preventing fires on board a ship is an important priority, and thus the use of asbestos in earlier shipbuilding efforts was quite substantial.
Its ability to be formed into sheets, woven into cloth, and even sprayed onto surfaces also made asbestos a convenient material. Its use in the shipbuilding industry was extremely widespread.
The Dangers of Asbestos at Seward Ships Drydock
When asbestos deteriorates with age or because of rough weather conditions, its fibers may be released into the air. The same is true when asbestos-containing products are installed. These fibers are invisible to the naked eye, and hundreds of Seward Ships Drydock employees may have unknowingly inhaled asbestos fibers, beginning a disease process that may only now be evident.
Asbestos exposure can cause lung cancer (both small-cell and non-small-cell lung cancer), mesothelioma, asbestosis, and other respiratory diseases. Mesothelioma is almost always caused by asbestos exposure, and the symptoms of mesothelioma usually take decades to show themselves.
Contact Us for Help
If mesothelioma, lung cancer, asbestosis or another asbestos-caused disease has stricken you or a loved one who worked at Seward Ships Drydock, we can help you explore available resources, financial and other.
