If you served aboard a U.S. Navy ship before the early 1980s, you may have been exposed to asbestos. The Navy used asbestos throughout its ships because it resists heat and fire, which made it useful around boilers, engines, and steam piping. Public records indicate that more than 3,000 Navy ships built or repaired between the 1930s and the mid-1980s contained asbestos-containing materials.
Sailors who worked below deck, especially in engineering spaces, often had daily contact with asbestos insulation and gaskets. Researchers have found that a large share of people diagnosed with mesothelioma served in the Navy or worked in shipyards. Because asbestos diseases can take 10 to 50 years to appear, many Navy veterans are diagnosed long after their service ended.
This page explains where asbestos was used aboard ship, which classes of Navy vessels were affected, and which jobs carried the highest risk. If you served on a Navy ship and have been diagnosed with mesothelioma, lung cancer, or asbestosis, you may be eligible for compensation through VA benefits and asbestos trust funds. There is no cost to speak with us about your service.
Why the Navy used so much asbestos
For most of the twentieth century, asbestos was the standard material for insulating high-heat and high-pressure equipment. A warship runs on steam produced in boilers and routed through miles of piping to turbines and machinery. That equipment reaches very high temperatures. Asbestos insulation reduced fire risk and helped contain heat in tight, enclosed spaces.
Navy specifications called for asbestos in many shipboard applications through the 1970s. The material was inexpensive, widely available, and effective. It was only after the health risks of asbestos became widely understood that the Navy began removing it and shifting to substitutes. Ships built or overhauled before that change carried asbestos in dozens of components.
Where asbestos was found aboard ship
Asbestos was concentrated in the engineering spaces but appeared throughout a vessel. Common locations included:
- Boiler rooms. Boiler casings, refractory, and surrounding insulation contained heavy amounts of asbestos.
- Engine rooms. Turbines, pumps, and steam piping were wrapped in asbestos lagging.
- Pipe insulation. Steam and hot-water lines throughout the ship were covered in asbestos.
- Gaskets and valve packing. Asbestos sealed joints in steam and fluid systems.
- Damage-control materials. Fireproofing, fire blankets, and protective gear used asbestos.
- Berthing and mess areas. Bulkhead panels, deck tiles, and overhead insulation could contain asbestos.
Confined shipboard spaces had limited ventilation. When insulation was installed, repaired, or torn out, fibers could remain in the air that sailors breathed. Overhauls and battle-damage repairs disturbed large amounts of asbestos at once.
Navy ship classes affected by asbestos
Asbestos was used across the fleet, not on a single type of vessel. The classes below are documented in public records as having used asbestos materials during the asbestos era. A dedicated page for each class, with its service history, exposure sources, and the trust funds most relevant to it, is published as the directory expands.
The directory uses class-level pages rather than a page for every individual ship, because exposure patterns are consistent within a class and class pages give veterans accurate, well-sourced information.
| Ship class | Era of asbestos use | Highest-exposure spaces |
|---|---|---|
| Aircraft carriers | 1930s-1980s | Boiler and engine rooms, catapult machinery |
| Destroyers | 1930s-1980s | Boiler and engine rooms, steam piping |
| Destroyer escorts | 1940s-1970s | Engineering spaces |
| Submarines | 1940s-1980s | Engine room, auxiliary machinery, berthing |
| Cruisers | 1930s-1980s | Boiler and engine rooms |
| Battleships | 1930s-1960s | Boiler rooms, fire rooms, turret machinery |
| Frigates | 1940s-1980s | Engineering spaces |
| Amphibious warships | 1940s-1980s | Boiler and engine rooms, well decks |
| Escort carriers | 1940s-1970s | Engineering spaces |
| Minesweepers | 1940s-1980s | Engine room, auxiliary spaces |
| Tenders | 1940s-1980s | Repair shops, engineering spaces |
| Auxiliary ships | 1940s-1980s | Engine room, cargo and repair spaces |
Was my ship affected?
Because asbestos was standard across the fleet for so long, most Navy ships built before the early 1980s used asbestos materials. If you remember the class of ship you served on and the years you served, that is usually enough to identify likely exposure sources. We can review your service history with you.
Navy jobs with the highest asbestos exposure
Some Navy ratings worked directly with asbestos materials every day. The highest-exposure roles include:
- Boiler Technician (BT). Maintained ship boilers, which were heavily insulated with asbestos through the 1970s.
- Machinist’s Mate (MM). Operated and maintained engines, turbines, and propulsion machinery surrounded by asbestos lagging.
- Hull Maintenance Technician (HT). Performed welding, plumbing, and structural repair, often cutting through asbestos materials.
- Enginemen (EN). Maintained diesel engines and auxiliary machinery.
- Damage Controlman (DC). Worked with fireproofing and protective materials that contained asbestos.
- Pipefitters and water tenders. Installed and repaired piping wrapped in asbestos insulation.
- Electrician’s Mate (EM). Worked around asbestos panels and wiring insulation.
Sailors in other jobs could also have had lower-level exposure, since asbestos was present throughout the ship. Shipyard workers who built and overhauled these vessels faced some of the heaviest exposure of all.
Health conditions linked to asbestos exposure
Inhaling or swallowing asbestos fibers can cause serious diseases years later. The main conditions include mesothelioma, a cancer of the lining of the lungs or abdomen; lung cancer; asbestosis, a scarring of the lungs; and pleural plaques or thickening. These illnesses commonly appear 10 to 50 years after first exposure, which is why Navy veterans are still being diagnosed today.
Trust funds covering Navy ship exposure
Several companies that supplied asbestos products to the Navy later filed for bankruptcy and established trust funds to compensate people harmed by their products. These trusts are separate from the VA, and a Navy veteran can often pursue both a VA claim and one or more trust claims. The right trusts depend on which manufacturers’ products were aboard the ships a veteran served on.
Manufacturers with strong ties to Navy ship exposure include:
- Babcock & Wilcox. One of the dominant suppliers of Navy boilers. Boiler-room ratings often have strong claims. See Babcock & Wilcox Trust.
- Combustion Engineering. Supplied boilers and refractory for steam-powered vessels. See Combustion Engineering Trust.
- Owens Corning / Fibreboard. Made Kaylo pipe and block insulation used aboard ship and in shipyards. See Owens Corning Fibreboard Trust.
- Pittsburgh Corning. Made Unibestos high-temperature pipe insulation used in 1960s and 1970s era ships. See Pittsburgh Corning Trust.
Each trust publishes scheduled values that change over time, along with the percentage it currently pays. We confirm current figures against each trust’s published documents before they appear in your case review.
For the full list of trusts most relevant to veterans, see the asbestos trust funds directory.
Compensation options for Navy veterans
A Navy veteran diagnosed with an asbestos-related illness may have more than one option. VA disability compensation is available when exposure is linked to qualifying service, and active cancers such as mesothelioma usually receive a high disability rating. A surviving spouse or dependent may qualify for Dependency and Indemnity Compensation. Asbestos trust claims can often proceed at the same time. See VA benefits for mesothelioma, asbestos trust funds for veterans, and filing a VA claim and a trust claim together.
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Frequently asked questions
Which Navy ships had asbestos?
Asbestos was used across the fleet on ships built before the early 1980s, including carriers, destroyers, submarines, cruisers, battleships, and support vessels. Most ships of that era used asbestos in boiler rooms, engine rooms, and piping.
How do I find out if my ship had asbestos?
Knowing the class of ship and the years you served is usually enough to identify likely exposure. Because asbestos was standard for so long, most pre-1980s ships used it. We can review your service history with you.
Which Navy jobs had the most asbestos exposure?
Boiler technicians, machinist’s mates, hull maintenance technicians, enginemen, and damage controlmen worked closest to asbestos. Pipefitters, water tenders, and electricians also faced exposure. Shipyard workers faced some of the heaviest exposure.
Can I file a VA claim and an asbestos trust claim?
In many cases, yes. Trust funds are paid by the manufacturers’ trusts, not the VA, so the two are usually separate paths. We can review whether both apply to your service.
How long after Navy service can mesothelioma appear?
Asbestos diseases commonly develop 10 to 50 years after first exposure. A diagnosis decades after service is common and does not prevent a claim.
Did the Navy stop using asbestos?
The Navy began removing asbestos and using substitutes after its health risks became widely recognized, generally by the early to mid-1980s. Ships built or overhauled before that period carried asbestos materials.
Sources
- U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Public Health, Asbestos. https://www.publichealth.va.gov/exposures/asbestos/
- U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Asbestos exposure eligibility. https://www.va.gov/disability/eligibility/hazardous-materials-exposure/asbestos/
- U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Benefits Administration, asbestos-related claims procedure. https://www.benefits.va.gov/COMPENSATION/claims-special-asbestos.asp
- Naval History and Heritage Command. https://www.history.navy.mil/
- Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), Asbestos. https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/asbestos/
Navy asbestos case outcomes
See examples from the public record in Navy Veteran Mesothelioma Verdicts and Settlements and one settlement example.