Galveston Docks
Located outside of Houston, Tex., Galveston Docks Shipyard stretches along the shores of the Gulf Coast and are accessed by a causeway linking Galveston Island to the mainland of Texas. The port is rich with history, having begun in 1825 as a trading center. The port today comprises 850 acres of land, and features facilities capable of handling numerous vessels. The shipyard is equipped to handle the repair and maintenance of any type of marine vessel, and is kept busy by the demands of a healthy gulf shipping and oil trade.
Like thousands of shipyards which existed, and even thrived, prior to the mid 1970s, Galveston Shipyard relied heavily on the use of asbestos-based products in the repair and construction of marine vessels. Ships and other water craft are exposed to high levels of humidity and other moisture, which can result in extensive corrosion of vital parts. Marine vessels are used in many different temperature and weather conditions, and the engines they sue for propulsion are subjected to high levels of super heat. For these reasons, the manufacturers of marine repair and construction products seek materials which are resistant to both moisture and high heat, and respond well to varying degrees of both. In addition, many pressurized components require gaskets and other materials which are flexible enough to offer some give, yet strong enough to perform their original functions while being flexible.
That sounds like a tall order. But for marine manufacturers from the late 19th century until the mid 1970s, there was one material that fit the bill perfectly: asbestos.
Not only was asbestos resistant to heat and moisture, flexible, and strong, but the silica-based mineral was also widely available and relatively cheap to mine and use. Like their dry and counterparts, marine repair and construction workers were exposed to these products on a daily basis. The number of products which could be successfully manufactured using asbestos may have seemed to make life easier for the employees and owners of shipyards. But in reality, asbestos was taking a terrible toll on the men and women who were regularly exposed to it.
Asbestos is a fibrous material which releases tiny, dust-like particles during the manufacture and repair process. As a result, in many shipyards the air was filled with its dust. Once inhaled, these tiny particles lodge fast in the lungs and other internal organs, causing potentially deadly conditions to develop, including mesothelioma, asbestosis, and lung cancer.
Symptoms of malignant mesothelioma can take decades to show up. If you were employed by the Galveston Docks Shipyard, you should discuss your potential risks with your health care provider as soon as possible as mesothelioma navy cases are most common.
