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How Can a Damage Controlman Get Mesothelioma by Occupational Exposure to Asbestos?
Damage controlmen are members of the Navy or United States Coast Guard who provide firefighting or emergency repair services, often after an enemy has attacked. They try to keep vessels afloat by keeping closures watertight. They also maintain pipe fittings and equipment. Some damage controlment provide onboard damage control and provided training on damage control to crewmembers. They also defend against radiological, chemical and biological warfare.
Most damage controlmen work aboard ships where they are in closed environments. The Navy once used hundreds of different products that contained asbestos in them since this material was resistant to heat and chemicals, durable and affordable. When these ships were attacked or otherwise damaged, damage controlmen would put out fires and make repairs to the ships. However, this damage often caused these asbestos materials to be disturbed. Damage controlmen could then breathe in these dangerous, microscopic fibers.
Damage controlmen also worked on bases to make necessary repairs. Like on ships, there were many building components in military bases that contained asbestos, so damage controlmen could be exposed to asbestos at these locations.
Damage controlmen also wore suits that were designed to protect them from fires but that also contained asbestos.
Common duties completed by damage controlmen include:
- Install firefighting systems on ships
- Maintain and repair firefighting systems
- Perform emergency repairs to structures, decks, hulls, piping fittings and fixtures
- Complete emergency pipe patching, plugging and shoring
- Perform maintenance and repair of watertight closures
- Suppress fires
Locations in the United States for the Highest Employment Rates for Damage Controlmen
Approximately 3,300 men and women work in the damage controlman rating. Most Navy deployments are at sea aboard ships and submarines. However, some deployments are to various ports and bases around the world.
Similar Occupations as Damage Controlmen
Similar military and non-military occupations as damage controlmen include:
- Enginemen
- Firefighters
- Boatswain’s mates
- Gunner’s mates
- Carpenters
- Storekeepers
Lawsuits and Settlements Involving Damage Controlmen and Mesothelioma
Members of the military who have been exposed to asbestos cannot sue the U.S. government for their exposure. However, they can file claims for VA benefits, as well as lawsuits against the manufacturers who made the asbestos products that were used on Navy ships.
The U.S. Supreme Court made a ruling in 2019 that could open the door to additional litigation. It found that manufacturers that made products that were used on Navy ships were responsible for two sailors’ exposure to asbestos and eventual deaths. They held that Navy contractors must warn about potential asbestos exposure if they know their products will require asbestos before they are used. Even though the defendants’ products themselves did not include asbestos, the Supreme Court ruled that if they knew asbestos would be added later on, they must warn the public. The defendants in the case manufactured turbines, blowers, pumps and other equipment and asbestos was later added to their products by now bankrupt companies.
Studies Related to Damage Controlmen and Asbestos
Damage controlmen make up a very small portion of military personnel, so there are not really very many studies on them. However, there have been studies on firefighters who perform similar job duties as damage controlmen and their occupational exposure to asbestos. There have also been numerous studies conducted on the Navy and boats and how asbestos exposure commonly occurs in this environment. Some notable results include:
- Firefighters are twice as likely to die from mesothelioma than the general population, according to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
- Firefighters also had an increased incidence of developing cancer of the respiratory, digestive or urinary system
- A Vanderbilt University study found a significantly higher rate of mesothelioma deaths among Navy veterans who worked in areas with a high potential for asbestos exposure; machinist’s mates, boiler technicians, water tenders, pipe fitters, and firefighters made up 55% of mesothelioma deaths.
Types of Asbestos Products Used by Damage Controlmen
Damage controlmen could have come in contact with a variety of products that contained asbestos since more than 300 asbestos-containing materials were used in naval ships until the 1970s. Nearly every room aboard a ship had some asbestos component in it, including engine rooms, boiler rooms, navigation rooms, mess halls and sleeping quarters. Because these workers put out fires and made repairs, they could have been exposed to virtually any source of asbestos while performing their job duties.
Some asbestos products that damage controlmen could have been exposed to include:
- Boilers
- Pipe insulation
- Pumps
- Turbines
- Engines
- Valves
- Hydraulic assemblies
- Insulation
- Grinders
- Paneling
- Tubes
- Adhesives
- Gaskets
- Valves
- Sealants
- Deck covering materials
- Capacitators
- Thermal materials
- Bedding compounds
- Cables
Manufacturers of Asbestos Products Used by Damage Controlmen
The same companies that placed civilian employees at risk for asbestos exposure also placed American servicemembers at risk. Some of the leading asbestos manufacturers include:
- R. Grace & Co.
- Owens Corning
- Celotex Corporation
- National Gypsum Corporation
Johns Manville
