Port Adams Shipyard

Located on the Gulf of Mexico, the Port Adams Shipyard long thrived as a vessel construction, repair and restoration facility, offering a wide range of services to commercial, private, and government clients. The port also served as a major employer in the area, which is home to number of shipyards that rely on the shipping concerns on the Gulf of Mexico for their livelihood.

Like the employees at other shipping facilities along the gulf, Port Adams workers regularly were exposed to the dangers of asbestos exposure. Since it was first mined during the 19th century, asbestos was revered for its ability to adapt to wide varieties of conditions and applications. Offering high levels of resistance to both heat and corrosive moisture, the material quickly gained favor with shipbuilders, who relied on asbestos-based materials and components for most of the systems and applications in marine vessels, including engine and propulsion systems, and insulating and waterproof coatings. Asbestos occurs naturally as fibers, which can be easily molded into different shapes to suit virtually any application, while still retaining amazing strength.

The use of asbestos in shipbuilding and repair materials was widespread until the mid 1970s, when safety and health concerns caused the federal government to step in and ban the use of the silica-based mineral in marine applications. But by then, many thousands of men and women working at shipyards had been exposed to asbestos. And because older ships containing asbestos are still in service, shipyard employees can still be exposed to the fine, dust-like fiber particles, which are readily released during repair and maintenance of these older vessels.

Once inhaled or ingested, these fibers lodge in the tissue of the lungs and other internal organs, where they can cause potentially deadly conditions like mesothelioma, asbestosis, and lung cancer.

Although there is no cure for health conditions caused by asbestos exposure, early intervention can help delay or treat some of the symptoms of malignant mesothelioma, which may not show up until decades after exposure. Early symptoms can mimic the onset of a common cold, and may be easily overlooked. If you worked at the Port Adams Shipyard, you should ask your health care professional about your potential for asbestos-related health risks as mesothelioma navy cases are common.