Today, I met with a Navy veteran who served on the USS Tattnall as a boiler technician. He’s suffering with mesothelioma that resulted from his naval asbestos exposure, which took place while he was working in the boilerrooms on the Tattnall. It’s been diagnosed by doctors at the Veteran’s Administration.
Boiler insulation is a common culprit in many asbestos mesothelioma cases, including those involving U.S. Naval Veterans who worked on ships. The removal of this thermal insulation from boilers, pipes, tanks and ducts, which was common in all boilerrooms, caused the asbestos fibers to be released into the air. Such insulation was a friable form of asbestos that could emit fibers easily into the air. Similarly, fibrous fluffy sprayed-on asbestos products used for fireproofing, insulation, or sound proofing were quite friable and could readily release airborne asbestos fibers. The potential for asbestos products to release breathable fibers into the air is what made boiler insulation so hazardous.