Veterans’ Toxic Exposure on Navy and Merchant Ships

After their military years, many Navy veterans found that their military experience and technical and non-technical skills matched well with the demand aboard civilian offshore support vessels, where more than 16,000 mariners worked in the mid-1990s.

The military provides intensive occupation-specific training to its service members across a wide range of professional sectors, and a significant number of members leaving the military have recognized an opportunity to apply and hone these skills through on-the-job training in often challenging civilian work environments.

As a plus, staying at sea after discharge was a practical choice rather than a career change, and their skills were already customized to shipboard life and maintenance work. Moreover, specific skill sets developed during enlistment can be successfully integrated into the maritime industry in areas such as:

• operations in the bridge, engine room, and deck
• technical skills in electronics and engineering
• vessel maintenance and repair
• compliance and safety
• management and logistics
• underwater operations

Even if a veteran doesn't come from a sea-going service, the skills acquired through military jobs mesh very well with jobs aboard vessels and oil rigs. Even more than that, veterans appreciate being part of a team; it's something they value, and civilian merchant vessels offered a familiar environment, structured crews, long deployments, and machinery that closely resembled what they were used to in the Navy. The transition from military service to civilian maritime work was common, especially during periods of high maritime labor demand, and Navy training translated directly into civilian maritime jobs, particularly in:

• engine rooms
• boiler spaces
• ship repair

Consequently, veterans who maintained naval ship propulsion systems, piping, or electrical equipment were often hired into similar positions aboard merchant ships.

Asbestos Exposure Did Not End With Military Service

Inhaling or ingesting asbestos dust was a significant health risk for many veterans who served on Navy ships heavily embedded with this toxic material. However, by later working as civilian mariners, and like all workers in these occupations, former service members continued risking exposure in:

• merchant marine
• offshore oil and gas
• tugboats
• barges
• other commercial vessel types
• shipyards
• repair facilities
• engine rooms

These environments mirrored many of the same shipboard conditions where veterans' asbestos exposure first occurred. Given that the shipping industry is an extensive mode of global transportation of a vast array of merchandise and various resources, those working aboard the US merchant fleet are routinely exposed to not only varying types of cargo and machinery, but also to hazardous materials such as:

• asbestos
• PFAS
• diesel exhaust
• benzene

According to the NGO Shipbreaking Platform, asbestos can still be found in more than 65% of vessels, including 50% percent of all newly built ones, despite being banned in shipbuilding since 2002. Estimates indicate that a commercial vessel may contain nearly 10 tons of asbestos-containing materials throughout the ship. In contrast, Navy ships are estimated to contain roughly 900 tons of asbestos-containing components. It's common knowledge now that there's no level of "safe" asbestos exposure. However, some asbestos use is still considered legal. Moreover, US regulations allow a ship containing up to 1.0% asbestos to be labeled asbestos-free. Even if the International Maritime Organization's regulations require ships built after 2002 to remove any asbestos within three years, vessels built before 2002 can still contain asbestos as long as they maintain a hazardous materials register and a documented management plan for any work involving asbestos.

Cumulative Exposure

Asbestos exposure doesn't cease its effects when military service ends, and continues affecting veterans' health. Medical studies show that asbestos-related diseases develop after years of routine exposure, not from a single job or employer. Each period of exposure in the military and in the civilian sphere contributes to the development of asbestos-related conditions later in life.

In military service and civilian maritime work, the environments often look strikingly similar, and the health risks are the same. Veterans who served aboard Navy ships built before the 1980s were exposed to considerable amounts of asbestos, and many of them then continued their careers in the civilian maritime industry, where asbestos exposure could continue while working on:

• merchant ships
• offshore supply vessels
• tugboats
• drilling platforms

Because veterans are often diagnosed with asbestos-related illnesses decades after their service and long after they've worked in possibly multiple maritime jobs, understanding when and where exposure occurred is critical. It is not always apparent whether civilian maritime work contributed to their health risks. Hence, documenting a complete work timeline from Navy service through civilian maritime employment is vital. Moreover, veterans and their families deserve to know their options in mitigating the impact of asbestos exposure. Different types of work can lead to different protections and potential benefits, so being informed is key. If the veteran becomes a civilian seaman, there are legal options available after discharge, so recognizing this pathway helps former service members better understand their health risks and compensation options.

• military exposure - supports VA disability or DIC and asbestos trust fund claims
• civilian maritime exposure - may support Jones Act claims, maritime injury claims, or asbestos litigation

In addition to asbestos exposure, Navy veterans handled AFFF during firefighting operations while in the military and in their civilian maritime careers. This exposure placed them at risk for PFAS-related illnesses, including:

• thyroid disease
• certain cancers
• liver damage
• immune system disorders
• reproductive issues
• ulcerative colitis

Just like asbestos, PFAS accumulate in the body over an extended period of time, and diseases linked to them remain latent for years. However, while asbestos primarily affects the lungs, PFAS particularly concentrate in the liver and kidneys. It only underlines how working in the maritime sphere is an ongoing source of toxic contamination.

Supporting Navy Veterans in Securing the Benefits They Deserve

Whether exposed to toxic contaminants in the military or during civilian maritime jobs, veterans may qualify to file claims if diagnosed with an eligible disease. Military exposure may entitle them to VA disability compensation or asbestos trust fund claims. Those who suffered health damages due to exposure during civilian maritime jobs are compensated under the specialized legal rights of seamen known as the Jones Act.

If you've been exposed to asbestos, PFAS, TCE, or other contaminants during your military and civilian work career, you should contact a specialized legal expert to protect your rights to compensation. We can help by putting you in touch with toxic exposure attorneys ready to ensure you get the compensation you deserve