Bethlehem Shipbuilding Maryland
The Bethlehem Shipbuilding Company at Sparrows Point, MA, is an incorporated franchise of the large Bethlehem Corporation located in Baltimore. Facilities are extensive and representative of the highest level of technology in modern shipbuilding and repair. While modern, the history of the facility is quite extensive, with steel manufacturing dating back to 1889.
The shipyard was an important aspect of military and government production, particularly during the World Wars. German U-boats were almost single-handedly ensuring the need for more fortified passenger liners following the Lusitania disaster. While the yard at Sparrows Point was contributing to this effort, it was also helping to better fortify warships for the new era of naval warfare that was emerging. During WWII, the shipyard was responsible for any extraordinary number of hull constructions, as well as becoming one of the primary vessel repair stations on the East coast. Certainly, the Bethlehem Shipbuilding of Sparrows Point has had an important role in the history of naval warfare and served an important service to the United States military needs.
Shipyards, unfortunately, are extremely hazardous places of employment. Dangers exist everywhere in shipyards. Fortunately however, nearly all shipyard employees are adequately trained to deal with any situation they may be presented with to maximize their own safety and that of those around them. One danger that is commonly associated with shipyards is exposure to toxins and dangerous materials. Among the more common materials found in shipyards is asbestos. Asbestos is an extremely dangerous material that has been banned for several years because of its conclusive links with serious health complications.
Asbestos was used and encountered extensively in nearly all aspects of shipyard labor. Shipyard employees who worked with older fixtures, especially those in insulation materials around hull construction, electrical, and plumbing fixtures. These areas were particularly asbestos-prone. Repairs made to these areas likely engaged asbestos materials, leaving those repairing the fixture at potential risk for exposure. Asbestos is the only known cause of specific lung related illnesses, including mesothelioma, a rare form of cancer that forms in the thin lining around the lung and other organs. It is important that shipyard workers who engaged these materials closely monitor their health and report and respiratory abnormalities to a physician or lung cancer specialist.
