San Francisco Drydock began as the Union Iron Works in the mid-1800s. It is now the largest commercial shipyard in San Francisco, operating as part of U.S. Marine Repair, Inc. at the biggest industrial port site in the city. Unfortunately, individuals who worked at San Francisco Drydock may have been exposed to toxic levels of asbestos, with a associated risk of developing lung cancer, mesothelioma, or asbestosis.
Decades of Ship Building and Repairing Work
Union Iron Works built and launched the first steel ship ever made on the Pacific Coast in 1885. As the decades rolled by, the focus changed from ship building to ship repairing, and during the World War II years, San Francisco Drydock employed hundreds of workers to repair and maintain military and merchant vessels.
The shipyard is still very active, but it now follows safety regulations that weren't in existence (or were ignored) in past decades of work at the site. These regulations include those limiting the use of asbestos in ships, and procedures that help limit shipworkers' exposure to asbestos.
Asbestos: The "Miracle Material"
Asbestos began to be widely used in ocean-going vessels after a disastrous fire occurred aboard the cruise ship S.S. Morro Castle in 1934, killing the 137 passengers and crew. At the time, it was thought that asbestos was an excellent and safe material for insulation and fireproofing aboard ships, and it was eventually used in hundreds of ship components, including boilers, incinerators, piping, turbines, pumps, and gaskets.
For decades, the San Francisco Drydock employees who installed the asbestos-containing products and those who removed the products when they were deteriorated or damaged were not given any safety equipment that would have limited their asbestos exposure. When asbestos is manipulated or in poor condition, it releases millions of invisible fibers that remain suspended in the air. These fibers, when inhaled by a human, can lodge themselves in the lungs and other internal organs, resulting in cancer and other life-threatening diseases.
Learn More about the Dangers at San Francisco Drydock
If asbestos exposure has caused a serious illness for you or your loved one, we can help. Contact us today for more information about the medical, legal, and financial resources available to you.
