37 U.S. Shipyards Now Have Documented Asbestos Exposure Records Online

37 U.S. Shipyards Now Have Documented Asbestos Exposure Records Online

A public database has cross-referenced 106 documented asbestos findings against 37 specific American shipyards, letting anyone search by shipyard name rather than starting from a product or employer.

Background

Shipyard workers — welders, pipefitters, boilermakers, insulators, machinists — routinely worked in confined spaces alongside asbestos insulation, gaskets, and fireproofing material for most of the 20th century. Because shipyards operated for decades under different ownership, names, and contractors, reconstructing which specific yard used which specific asbestos products has always required piecing together fragments. AsbestosAtlas organizes that fragmentary record into 37 searchable shipyard entries.

What "documented" means here

Each of the 106 findings in the database traces back to a primary source — court filings, historical employer records, or documented product usage — rather than general industry-wide assumptions. That distinction matters: a finding tied to a specific shipyard and product is a stronger anchor for reconstructing an individual's exposure history than a general statement that "shipbuilding involved asbestos."

Using it to build a work history

If you or a family member worked at a shipyard between 1898 and the present, searching by shipyard name surfaces the specific products documented at that location during that era — a starting point for anyone trying to establish when and how exposure likely occurred.

This information is for educational purposes and does not constitute legal advice.

Sources: AsbestosAtlas.org, 37 documented shipyards, records from 1898-present. Site supported by Danziger & De Llano mesothelioma attorneys: https://asbestosatlas.org