Shipyard Overhauls and the “Snipes”: Non-Crew Exposure During Fleet Modernization Periods

During the decades of peak military asbestos utilization, thousands of individuals sustained toxic exposures without ever being permanently assigned to a ship’s sailing manifest. While regular ship crews faced ongoing baseline risks, the environmental hazard expanded during planned availability periods, frame conversions, and fleet rehabilitation and modernization programs. For civilian contractors, temporary drydock workers, and […]