Asbestos Exposure and Veterans
Asbestos Exposure and Veterans
(June 14, 2011)
There are currently 25 million individuals who have served in the United States Armed Forces according to the United States Department of Veterans Affairs. It is estimated that hundreds of thousands and possibly millions of veterans living today may have been victims of asbestos exposure during their service in the armed forces. Asbestos was widely used by all of the military branches because of its durability, fireproofing abilities and heat resistance properties.
Almost all military divisions used asbestos for insulation purposes with over 300 products that contained asbestos used. However, the navy primarily used it from the 1930s all the way to the 1970s. Every ship built and used by the navy was incorporated with a large amount of asbestos-containing products and materials. The products and materials were generously used in the boiler and engine rooms plus any areas below deck for the purpose of fire safety. Any navy personnel working below deck were unfortunately exposed to heavy amounts of asbestos, and any former navy crew members are still at risk because asbestos was present in their sleeping quarters, navigation rooms and mess halls. Products like gaskets, brakes, cement adhesives and valves contained asbestos. Other items such as floor and pipe coverings contained dangerous levels of asbestos as well and, between the 1930s to the mid-1970s, practically every section of the typical navy ship had products made with asbestos. Studies have proved that navy veterans and shipyard workers are one of the biggest groups at risk for developing any asbestos-related diseases.
A significant amount of Americans diagnosed with mesothelioma were exposed to asbestos during their armed forces service and, due to typical military practices, veterans who served in any of the armed forces between 1940 and 1970 have the risk of developing an asbestos-related illness. Navy personnel and crew who worked in shipyards from the 1930s to the 1970 face an even greater risk for developing an asbestos-related illness. If you were a veteran during any of the time frames mentioned and are suffering from asbestos exposure or veterans mesothelioma, you should contact an asbestos or mesothelioma law firm at once.