09:30 - 10:30, No.2 Conference Room
Workshop H
Asbestos and Shipyards
Chairs: Hirotaro Miura and Claudio Bianchi
 |
James Fite
National Secretary, White Lung Association (WLC), the U.S.A.
ABSTRACT
The United States was once one of the worlds leading centers for ocean vessel construction. Over twenty major yards employed millions of workers from 1920's to 1980s. This construction utilized primarily two substances, steel and asbestos.
Although the shipyards were one of the most supervised and accounted for industrial operations, due to the huge government subsidies from wartime and defense spending, asbestos exposure proved deadly to large sections of the workers. The author will evaluate the human cost from this asbestos exposure and suggest methods to prevent future toxic exposure in ship construction.