The American Shipbuilding Company and Asbestos

As one of the most dominant shipbuilders on the Great Lakes, American Shipbuilding Company played a significant role in U.S. naval construction between 1899 and 1995. The company built hundreds of commercial and military vessels at its locations in Ohio, Illinois, and Florida.[1] Despite its respected place in shipbuilding history, the shipyard’s personnel were put at risk of serious illness resulting from asbestos exposure during construction and ship maintenance operations. Many workers have been diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma, asbestosis, and other asbestos-related conditions, while others remain at risk for these serious illnesses.

Why Was Asbestos Used in Shipbuilding?

Asbestos was a common component of all types of maritime construction during the early twentieth century. Its fire resistance and insulating qualities, as well as its low cost and easy accessibility, made it a natural choice for the military and others building seagoing vessels at risk of fire and damage from the elements.

The U.S. Navy was one of the country’s biggest users of asbestos. By the 1930s, it had mandated the material’s use in almost all of its ships, especially in parts including gaskets and insulation. By 1939, the United States government had designated asbestos as strategically vital and had begun stockpiling the mineral.[2]

From those days until the 1970s, when research conclusively identified it as being carcinogenic, the material was widely utilized to strengthen and insulate virtually all types of shipboard components.

The History of American Shipbuilding Company

American Shipbuilding Company was incorporated in New Jersey in March 1899 as a consolidation of multiple Great Lakes shipbuilding firms. The company brought together the Cleveland Ship Building Co., the Ship Owner’s Dry Dock Co., the Globe Iron Works, and five other companies in the Great Lakes region.[1]

The Globe Iron Works, the oldest of these companies, was established as an iron foundry in 1853 by Samuel Lord and William McClelland. Its first foundry building was located on the northwest corner of Elm and Spruce Streets on the west bank of the Flats in Cleveland.

In 1882, Globe Ship Building built and launched the first large commercial ship on the Great Lakes, made of iron—the Onoko. Four years later, the company built and launched the first large commercial ship made of steel—the Spokane.

The newly consolidated American Ship Building Company established Cleveland offices and prospered in the early 1900s with the steel industry’s increased demand for new ore carriers. By 1952, the company was the largest shipbuilder on the Great Lakes.

Expansion and Peak Operations

American Shipbuilding Company operated several locations around the United States. The first of the company’s shipyards was in Cleveland, Ohio. It eventually expanded to Lorain, Ohio; Toledo, Ohio; Chicago, Illinois; and Tampa, Florida.

During World War II, the company employed more than 2,500 workers. To support the war effort, American Shipbuilding managed the Delta Shipbuilding Company for the United States Maritime Commission. Delta had a shipyard in New Orleans and built a total of 188 ships, including 187 Liberty ships. The Delta shipyard was started specifically for the war effort and was shut down after the end of World War II.

The Lorain Yard served as the company’s main facility after the war and became renowned for building the largest vessels on the Great Lakes. The facilities eventually included two dry docks over 1,000 feet long that were built to handle the largest of the Great Lakes ore carriers.[1]

The Steinbrenner Era

In the early 1960s, American Ship Building Company acquired Kinsman Marine Transit Company, which was owned by the Steinbrenner family. As a result of the transaction, the Steinbrenner family acquired a controlling interest in American Ship Building.

In 1967, a new group of investors gained control of the company’s Board of Directors, making George M. Steinbrenner, III—who would later become better known as the principal owner of the New York Yankees—the chief executive officer.

After buying the Tampa Ship & Dry Docks Co. in 1972, the firm expanded its facilities there and moved its corporate headquarters from Cleveland to Tampa in 1979.

Decline and Closure

Hit hard by the continuing decline in Great Lakes shipping and a strike that closed its shipyards in Lorain, Toledo, and Chicago in 1978-79, the company turned increasingly to defense contracts for its business and began to close its Great Lakes shipyards.

Frustrated after years of fighting with unions over cost-saving work changes, the Steinbrenners closed the Lorain shipyard in December 1983 and moved all operations to Tampa, Florida. The Cleveland location also closed in 1983.

The company began having difficulties in the 1980s, going through a bankruptcy in 1993. The company ceased operations in 1995 with the closing of its last location in Tampa.

Notable Ships Built by American Shipbuilding Company

American Shipbuilding Company constructed hundreds of vessels for both commercial and military use. They built or serviced many types of ships, most of which contained extensive amounts of asbestos-containing materials. The ships included:

• Carriers
• Minesweepers
• Passenger ships
• Tankers
• Tugs
• Ferries
• Oar boats
• Cruisers
• Destroyer escorts
• Landing ships
• Net layers

Notable military vessels built by the company include:

• USS Seer (AM-112)
• USS Lorain (PF-93)
• USS Milledgeville (PF-94)
• USS Annapolis (PF-15)
• USS Key West (PF-17)
• USS Alexandria (PF-18)
• USS Huron (PF-19)
• USS Gulfport (PF-20)
• USS Orlando (PF-99)
• USS Racine (PF-100)
• USCGC Valiant (WMEC-621)
• USCGC Courageous (WMEC-622)
• USCGC Steadfast (WMEC-623)
• USCGC Dauntless (WMEC-624)
• USS Wolverine (IX-64), originally built in 1913 as the Seeandbee
• USS Sable (IX-81), originally built in 1924 as the Greater Buffalo

Significant commercial vessels included:

• MV Paul R. Tregurtha (originally MV William J. De Lancey), the largest vessel on the Great Lakes at 1,013’06” long
• MV James R. Barker
• MV Mesabi Miner
• MV Roger Blough
• SS Arthur M. Anderson
• SS Carl D. Bradley
• SS Isaac M. Scott (sunk in the Great Lakes Storm of 1913)
• SS Charles S. Price (sunk in the Great Lakes Storm of 1913)
• SS Henry B. Smith (sunk in the Great Lakes Storm of 1913)

How Did American Shipbuilding Company Use Asbestos?

American Shipbuilding Company’s operations long before asbestos had been linked to serious health conditions, and after the 1930s, when the U.S. Navy began specifying that the mineral be included in its vessels, the yard’s use of it became a given. It continued right up until the 1970s, when its dangers became public knowledge and the Clean Air Act of 1970 granted the Environmental Protection Agency authority to regulate the mineral’s use and disposal.

During the years that the company’s ship production was most active, the Navy considered asbestos invaluable. The mineral’s light weight and flexibility made it useful for various shipboard applications, and its heat and flame resistance were considered essential to protect both military assets and personnel.  

American Shipbuilding Company used asbestos in many components of its ships, including:

• Boilers and turbines
• Pipe insulation
• Engine rooms
• Condensers and evaporators
• Exhaust systems
• Hull insulation
• Firefighting gear
• Gaskets and packing
• Thermal insulation for ducts
• Doors and hatches
• Electrical components
• Adhesives
• Flooring
• Wall materials
• Paint and plaster
• Cement applications

Who Was at Risk of Asbestos Exposure from the American Shipbuilding Company?

Workers at American Shipbuilding Company were at risk of asbestos exposure from both the materials that were used in building the company’s ships and the various parts and equipment components used in maintenance and repair.

Raw asbestos and various asbestos products were used throughout ships to help prevent fires. The mineral also helped manage and protect from the heat emitted by boilers, engines, and other equipment.

Though the greatest danger to the company’s employees came from using asbestos-containing materials in ship construction, the health risks they faced from inhaling or swallowing the material didn’t come until years later, long after the material’s dangers had been recognized and safety regulations put in place. Even then, workers assigned to remove the dangerous material from existing equipment often worked without appropriate protective equipment and in confined spaces with poor ventilation.

Job classifications at particular risk included:

• Insulators
• Pipefitters
• Boilermakers
• Steamfitters
• Welders
• Maintenance workers
• Ship repair workers
• Metal burners
• Painters
• Carpenters
• Electricians
• Machinists
• Laborers

Secondary Exposure

Beyond direct workplace hazards, work at the American Shipbuilding Company also presented a risk to the shipyard’s workers’ family members. When employees worked with asbestos-containing materials, asbestos dust would become airborne and then land on their work clothes, skin, or hair. They then unknowingly carried those particles into their homes, where they could affect spouses and family members.

This indirect route is known as secondary exposure, and it has led to many spouses and family members of individuals with occupational asbestos exposure developing serious asbestos-related conditions. This was particularly true of those who spent years laundering their family members’ contaminated work clothes.

Navy Veterans

In addition to the occupational exposure experienced by American Shipbuilding Company’s employees, Navy crew members who served onboard the vessels were also exposed to asbestos in varying degrees based on their job assignments.

Service members who were enginemen and machinists were responsible for maintaining and operating asbestos-insulated boilers and turbines. While they faced particularly high exposure levels, the risk was not restricted to those in their positions. Because the physical environment within the vessels was so contained, once asbestos was disturbed, it could be carried on uniforms and distributed through ventilation systems, affecting personnel throughout the ships that American Shipbuilding had constructed.

Were You Exposed to Asbestos at American Shipbuilding Company?

Know the Warning Signs

Occupational asbestos exposure like that suffered by employees of American Shipbuilding Company can cause malignant mesothelioma, asbestosis, lung cancer, and other disabling asbestos-related illnesses.

If you worked on ships or other vessels at American Shipbuilding Company facilities in Cleveland, Lorain, Toledo, Chicago, or Tampa, or if you served on one of the ships built in their yards, you may be at risk. Even if you currently have no symptoms and feel well, understanding the dangers associated with past asbestos exposure remains crucial, as does knowing the warning signs.

Asbestos illnesses have long latency periods, and it often takes between 20 and 50 years for symptoms to appear. Because the first signs of mesothelioma frequently resemble less serious illnesses, both patients and their doctors tend to initially miss the correct diagnosis, and this can delay valuable treatment time. The best way to avoid this is to make your physician aware of your exposure history. Having this information in your medical records can go a long way toward enhanced screening and avoiding a missed or delayed diagnosis. 

Help for Those Who’ve Been Diagnosed with Mesothelioma

If you or someone close to you has received a mesothelioma diagnosis after having worked at American Shipbuilding Company or on one of the ships they built or repaired, you may be eligible for compensation.

It’s important to remember that though asbestos use ceased at shipyards by the 1980s, workers could be exposed to legacy asbestos for years after, and contaminated materials may still be found on older ships and equipment.

For those who have been diagnosed with an asbestos-related disease, options include filing a personal injury lawsuitagainst the companies that supplied asbestos to the shipyard. Companies that provided asbestos-containing products to American Shipbuilding Company included:

• A-Best Products
• A.P. Green
• Babcock & Wilcox
• Combustion Engineering
• Fibreboard
• Halliburton
• NARCO
• Owens Corning
• United States Gypsum
• Spirax Sarco, Inc. (supplied steam traps)
• Grinnell Corp.

Additionally, victims have the option of filing claims against asbestos trust funds. These funds were established by companies that filed for bankruptcy protection after being financially devastated by the large sums they had to pay victims. As part of their reorganization agreements, the companies were required to establish trusts that would compensate victims diagnosed in the future. People who worked at American Shipbuilding Company and who later developed mesothelioma or another asbestos-related disease may be eligible to file a claim against these companies’ trusts.

Contact a Mesothelioma Attorney Today

The best way for you to explore your options and get the answers you need is by reaching out to an experienced mesothelioma attorney who specializes in helping those injured by exposure to asbestos. These knowledgeable professionals have extensive resources to help you identify those responsible for your exposure and make sure you get the compensation and justice you deserve.