Bloodworth Bond

Texas boasts several large shipyards that have been very successful over the years, and one of the primary reasons for this is the extremely busy Houston Port. Ship building and repair sites sprung up nearby the port and developed a thriving business. One such facility known as the Bloodworth Bond Shipyard was located very close to Houston and took on a lot of business fixing large vessels that made their way to the Lone Star State.

Every shipyard utilizes several large pieces of equipment that operate at a very high temperature. Machinery such as boilers, pumps and turbines run very hot and need to be kept cool with thick insulation. For years most of the insulating materials that were used to regulate this equipment was made out of asbestos. This mineral has the ability to reduce the level of heat and help contain or even control small fires.

Asbestos was discovered in massive quantities in the late 1800's. It was soon recognized as being strong, pliable and very economical to mine. Before long it was looked upon as one of the greatest natural resources in the United States. Manufacturers included it within hundreds of goods, and insulation products generally contained large amounts of the material.

Items that contained asbestos were recognized for being tough and long lasting, but small bits of the mineral would regularly break off and become airborne. When this happened, people who were close by often breathed in tiny bits of the material without even realizing it. Even if they had been aware, many people might not have minded because for nearly a century most Americans did not know a startling fact about asbestos - it is highly toxic.

The poisonous nature of asbestos was not well known until the later 1970's, and by then millions of people who worked at job sites the the Bloodworth Bond Shipyard has been exposed to it. After being around items that contained the mineral, these workers began to suffer from scarred lung tissue, breathing difficulties and respiratory disorders. Many also developed life threatening diseases such as the cancerous mesothelioma. It became a widespread epidemic that swept the nation.

Government agencies such as the Occupational Safety and Health Administration and Environmental Protection Agency finally stepped in and began to stringently regulate use of asbestos. Although it is now only used in a safe manner that is designed to protect people who must work with the mineral, for years people all over the country spent a great deal of time around it without the advantage of protective gear. People who did deal with asbestos based products may still be at risk, and should contact their healthcare provider for an examination immediately.

Last modified: December 09 2009.