Asbestos Fact Sheet Reveals Exposure Hazards in Shipbreaking

Read the OSHA fact sheet about the exposure hazards in the shipbreaking process. In dismantling a ship, workers can be exposed to dangerous carcinogens such as asbestos.

Hazardous Exposures:

Asbestos—in hanger liners, mastic under insulation, cloth over insulation, cable, lagging and insulation on pipes and hull, adhesive, gaskets on piping connections, and valve packing.
Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs)—in rubber products such as hoses, plastic foam insulation, cables, silver paint, habitability paint, felt under septum plates, plates on top of the hull bottom, and primary paint on hull steel.
Lead—from lead and chromate paint, lead ballast, batteries, generators, and motor components.
Hazardous material and chemicals—including heavy metals in ship transducers, ballast, and paint coatings; mercury in fluorescent light tubes, thermometers, electrical switches, light fittings, fire detectors, and tank-level indicators; and chloroflorocarbons (CFCs) in self-contained refrigeration devices such as water coolers and small freezer units.
Excess noise—associated with grinding, hammering, metal cutting, and other activities. ? Fire—from ignited insulation, matting, lagging, and residual fuel; and from lubricants and other flammable liquids.

Courtesy of OSHA

Other helpful links:

Asbestos Asbestos
Asbestos and lung cancer Asbestos and lung cancer
Mesothelioma attorney Mesothelioma attorney
Mesothelioma Lawyer Mesothelioma lawyer
Asbestos attorney Asbestos attorney