GMD Shipyard
Located within the waterfront area of the historic Brooklyn Navy Yard, the GMD Shipyard occupies a location that has been at the forefront of shipbuilding and repair since 1801. Ideally located, the GMD Shipyard is able to service the ports of both New York and New Jersey, with the ability to service nearly any vessel, government or commercial, on the East Coast. GMD Shipyard also boasts full 24-hour service in full operational capacity.
The facility features 1,100 of wet berth and two 1090' x 150' graving docks, which are serviced by a dockyard that features cranes of nearly any size. The GMD Shipyard has the equipment and knowledgeable workers who can perform nearly any shipyard task. These include, but are not limited to, grit blasting, high-pressure water blasting, painting, and steel hull repair. The shipyard has the ability to respond all needs from routine maintenance to emergency dry docking. The GMD Shipyard prides itself on doing all maintenance inn accordance of the standards of the American Bureau of Shipping and the United States Coast Guard.
Shipyard employees, like those at the GMD Shipyard, come face to face with many dangers on a daily basis, but are a fundamental aspect of the shipping industry. Perhaps one of the most dangerous aspects of a shipyard employee's day to day work is something that is sight unseen to them. This is the exposure to dangerous carcinogens that are a daily reality for many industrial shipyard employees. Older vessels, like those that may have been repaired at the GMD Shipyard, feature construction that is especially prone to these dangerous materials. The most common of which, is asbestos. Asbestos was a cornerstone material in several vessel's boilers, pipe fitting, drywall, and floor or ceiling constructions.
Asbestos particles often become disturbed by vessel repair workers who must chip or grind at older components of a ship's construction, leaving these workers at risk to inhale these deadly particles. These particles are extremely harmful to the body and can be attributed to several respiratory afflictions, including mesothelioma. Sometimes, symptoms of mesothelioma and other lung-related ailments can appear several years after exposure to asbestos, which can leave the correlation between exposure and symptoms somewhat unclear. It is important that if you or a loved one were employed by a shipyard, such as the GMD Shipyard, that you seek out more information about possible exposure to harmful asbestos particles. Several medical, legal, and family support systems exist for victims of asbestos exposure and illness as a result of exposure. If you think you may have been exposed, please visit a physician for testing, as early detection is important in quality of life following diagnosis.
