Tacoma Dry Dock

Washington has been the home of many large shipyards over the years, and one such facility was known as the Tacoma Dry Dock. Like most maritime related work sites all over the country, this location was known to have had products containing asbestos present for many years.

Asbestos is a mineral that can be found in large natural deposits all across the United States. Soon after its initial discover, the material was being used to created hundreds of different products. These goods were utilized in most every walk of life, but were especially prevalent at industrial work sites. Large amounts of the mineral were included in insulation, because asbestos is very strong and able to hold up under intense heat. Work sites such as the Tacoma Dry Dock operated large pieces of equipment that ran very hot, and needed insulating materials to keep them running properly. Asbestos was found to be ideal for this very purpose.

Due to its large number of advantageous qualities, asbestos became one of the most commonly utilized natural resources in America for decades. Of course this all began long before the mineral was known to be toxic. Prior to the 1970's, most people had no idea that the mineral which was often referred to as a "miracle material" was also poisonous, and simply being close to products that were made out of it could be deadly. People who were near insulation and other goods that contained asbestos often breathed in dust particles that broke off of the products and mixed in with the air supply. After it was ingested, the dust would attach to the lining of a victim's respiratory system and slowly but surely do large amounts of damage.

When asbestos is taken internally, it will scar lung tissue and make normal breathing labored and painful. It can also develop into lung cancer, and it is commonly associated with the life threatening disease known as mesothelioma. Millions of Americans were exposed to this hazardous substance and became very sick because of it. Thousands of lawsuits were filed against companies such as the Tacoma Dry Dock which allowed workers to spend time around this poisonous mineral without ever warning them of the danger. Had people known, they would have been able to at least wear protective gear which would help them avoid ingesting the toxic mineral. Tragically, many company executives were well aware of the dangers their employees faced, but chose not to give any warnings, thus allowing thousands of people to become sick or even lose their lives.

Last modified: December 09 2009.