The USS Essington (DE-67) was a Buckley-class destroyer escort launched on June 19, 1943. It was transferred to the United Kingdom on September 7, the same year, and was renamed HMS Essington, K353. In 1945, the ship was decommissioned and transferred to the U.S. Navy, where it was sold for scrapping on December 22, the same year. Asbestos fibers are strong and resistant to heat and chemicals, this has led to their use by the Navy in a wide range of shipbuilding materials. Asbestos only becomes dangerous when it’s disturbed; this mostly happens during repair works when asbestos-containing materials are being drilled, cut, sawed, or sanded. Any process that destroys the material in any way will release microscopic fibers into the air. When airborne, the fibers can easily be breathed in, when they lodge themselves into the lungs and other internal organs and can later cause severe damage and death.
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