Seward Marine Industrial Center
Seward Marine Industrial Center began operations in 1985, but the main company that makes its home there is Seward Ship's. Their company history began in 1973 when the growing fishing trade off Alaskan waters increased the demand for vessel repair services in the area. The demand was so great that within a year new facilities were built at Leirer Industrial Park, which Seward Ship's Chandlery still uses today.
Seward Ship's leased an additional site at Lowell Point in 1979 and began drydocking and servicing ships. They continued to use this site until 1985. Then, they closed this facility and moved to their current dry dock location at Seward Marine Industrial Center.
Seward Ship's drydocking facilities at Seward Marine Industrial Center began with a 5,000 ton Syncro-Lift. In the years since 1985, Seward Ship's has expanded into an 11-acre site. The company provides a full-service shipyard that services any size of ship from rowboat to small ocean-liner. They offer full undercover construction, drydocking and refitting.
During the early years of Seward Ship's repair services, the chances are very high that employees were exposed to asbestos because it was a common material in the ships that they were repairing. Cases of mesothelioma and asbestosis have been reported among Seward Ship's employees which date back to that time.
Inadequate protective measures prior to the EPA ruling banning the use of asbestos products in 1989 are usually to blame for the inhalation of the asbestos fibers. It was quite common to just cut away the asbestos insulation on pipes, boilers and flooring with power tools, which effectively turned the asbestos to dust.
These tiny dust particles are glass-like in nature. As they settle into the lungs, they cause scarring. This scar tissue leads to stiffness of the lung tissue. The inability of the lungs to expand and contract naturally leads to shortness of breath, a dry cough, chest pain, and even clubbing of the fingers in some cases.
While asbestosis is not cancerous, it increases the risk of developing mesothelioma, a type of cancer which affects the layer tissue surrounding each organ that expands and contracts. While other organs can develop cancer in this mesothelium lining, 70 to 80% of all cases of mesothelioma cancer can be linked back to exposure to asbestos. This is especially true of pleural (lung) mesothelioma.
It is common for individuals who have worked with asbestos to not connect their lung ailments with previous asbestos exposure. This can be explained by the length of time between exposure and the development of symptoms. The symptoms of mesothelioma often take 30 to 50 years to appear.
If you have been experiencing symptoms, such as shortness of breath and pain in your chest, it is important to see a doctor immediately. Let the physician know that you were exposed to asbestos. This will help them evaluate x-rays and/or CT scan results more accurately. It is vital to catch asbestos cancer as soon as possible.
