Moore Dry Dock Company, also known as Moore Shipbuilding, constructed and repaired hundreds of vessels during and after the world wars. The heavy use of asbestos in ships during this period left many workers and navy veterans with devastating diseases like mesothelioma.
History of Moore Dry Dock
Moore Dry Dock was a joint venture between founders Robert S. Moore, Joseph Moore, and John Thomas Scott. The trio purchased what was known as the National Iron Works, located at Hunter’s Point in San Francisco.
They initially named the business Moore & Scott Iron Works. Subsequently, they changed the name to Moore Shipbuilding Company in 1917 after moving the business to Oakland and buying the W.A. Boole and Son Shipyard.[1]
In 1922, the name changed again to Moore Dry Dock Company. Initially, the company primarily focused on ship repair work.
World War I and the Interwar Years
Before the war, the shipyard focused on building and repairing ferries, dredges, tankers, and other commercial vessels. As World War I began, business boomed, and the number of employees grew to over 12,000.[2]
After the war, the focus shifted back to the repair of commercial ships. Workers also produced structural steel used to build bridges and buildings in the region. At this time, the workforce dropped back down to about 2,000
World War II
When World War II started, the shipyard received $9 million from the U.S. Navy to build ships.[1] Employment at the Dry Dock peaked during this time with approximately 37,000 workers. Between 1938 and the last vessel built at Moore in 1945, workers there constructed 112 ships.[2]
After the War and Closure
After World War II, Moore Dry Dock returned to ship repair for numerous years. By 1960, however, the shipyard permanently shut down.[1]
Moore Dry Dock closed in 1961. Schnitzer Steel Industries, Inc., a steel manufacturing and scrap metal recycling company, bought the former shipyard site.
How Was Asbestos Used at Moore Dry Dock?
Like most shipyard workers during World War II and the years before and after, Moore Dry Dock workers were constantly exposed to asbestos, according to numerous court files and findings.
Shipbuilding utilized asbestos for decades, with the heaviest usage occurring from the 1930s through the 1970s. Asbestos was in hundreds of ship components, including:
- Insulation
- Boilers
- Furnaces
- Gaskets
- Pumps
- Valves
- Machinery and tools
- Welding materials
- Adhesives
- Textiles
- Protective gear
Like other shipyards during the same period, Moore received regular shipments of materials and components with asbestos. Workers handled or worked around these materials, which led to exposure in many.
How Did Asbestos Harm Moore Dry Dock Workers?
Although not much information was initially known about the dangers of asbestos, memos traced back to the 1940s suggest that both asbestos manufacturers and shipyard owners knew about the risks.
However, business was good for asbestos manufacturers, and despite warnings, the companies continued to ship asbestos-containing products to shipyards across the nation.
Many shipyard workers breathed in dangerous asbestos fibers by simply going to work each day without any knowledge of the dangers and without safety gear to protect themselves.
Asbestos affected different workers in various occupations at the shipyard. The workers who were reportedly exposed the most to asbestos include:
- Boilermakers
- Insulation workers
- General laborers
- Electricians
- Pipefitters
- Sanders
Some of the workers exposed to asbestos at Moore and other shipyards later developed serious illnesses. Asbestos causes mesothelioma, asbestosis, lung cancer, and other respiratory symptoms.
Worker’s Widow Sues Moore Dry Dock
In 2018, Sandra Foglia, the widow of a former shipyard worker, Felix Foglia, filed a mesothelioma lawsuit against Moore Dry Dock after her son, Ronald Foglia, developed mesothelioma from second-hand asbestos exposure via his father’s clothing.[3]
Moore Dry Dock argued that it “owed no duty of care” to the family, claiming that Ronald had second-hand exposure, but he could not 100% prove it to be linked back to the shipyard. The court sided with the shipyard and ruled the plaintiffs did not provide enough substantive evidence to win their case.[3]
Foglia appealed and argued that the shipyard “failed to conduct comprehensive discovery and failed to disclose all the evidence it had already discovered.”
In other words, the plaintiff accused the shipyard of knowing about asbestos use at the shipyard, including its dangers, yet failing to disclose its findings, which would have helped protect workers.
Unfortunately, since most of the testimony was based on hearsay that Felix heard from others when he was a younger boy, the plaintiff didn’t have enough evidence to prove their case. The court upheld its initial decision.
Despite the court’s ruling in this case, other findings have shown that Moore Dry Dock knew about asbestos at the shipyard. Numerous workers filed lawsuits against the shipyard, with most cases ending in undisclosed settlements.
Did Moore Dry Dock Know about Asbestos Issues?
During the 2000s, federal laws began to shift in favor of asbestos plaintiffs. Shipyards now have the burden of proving no asbestos existed at the workplace instead of placing the burden on plaintiffs to provide all of the proof.
Not many shipyards can prove this since more than one million people worked at shipyards, with many of them later developing asbestos illnesses that have been directly linked to their employment.
Asbestos exposure at Moore Dry Dock was also discussed in the book, From Labor to Reward, written by Martha C. Taylor. The book, in part, explores the life of Henry Taylor, a black man who migrated to California and worked at the shipyard to help support his family. Moore hired many black workers for the war effort, but they also faced asbestos exposure risks.
“It didn’t take long for Henry to find employment as a general laborer at Moore Dry Dock Shipyard, Oakland, where work was plentiful, not knowing that exposure to asbestos would contribute to his death years later.”[4]
How to Seek Compensation if You Worked at Moore Dry Dock
If you or a loved one developed an asbestos illness after working at Moore Dry Dock, you have a right to seek compensation. Contact an asbestos law firm or lawyer to find out what your options are. They will review your case for free.
Filing a lawsuit might be an option if the companies that supplied Moore Dry Dock still exist. If those companies went bankrupt, you might be eligible to file a claim with an asbestos trust fund.
