Did you know asbestos was present on Australian Naval vessels?
Many former Naval servicemen and women who served onboard Australian Naval vessels between the 1940s and the 1980s could have been exposed to asbestos during their Naval service. Some Naval service personnel incurred very significant exposure.
Asbestos insulation materials were used on Naval vessels for their heat retention and fire retardant properties.
Where was asbestos present?
The location of asbestos materials on Naval vessels varied depending on the vessel type, but were commonly present on steam, hot water and exhaust pipes, and in engine and boiler rooms and aircraft hangars on vessels and at shore bases.
How did asbestos exposure occur?
Asbestos exposure occurred when Navy servicemen and women worked directly with asbestos materials at sea or in dry dock, or when working around others, including Dockyard personnel, when vessels were undergoing maintenance and refit. In particular, mechanical engineers and stokers often directly worked with asbestos materials.
Navy servicemen and women onboard Naval vessels at sea could be exposed generally when living, sleeping and eating beneath asbestos materials, as pipes that were insulated with asbestos ran throughout mess decks of Naval ships. Exposure occurred when asbestos dust was released from these asbestos materials due to the vibration of pipes caused by rough seas and gunfire.
Associated exposure
Commonwealth civilian employees who worked at Garden Island Dockyard in New South Wales or Williamstown Dockyard in Victoria, where Naval vessels underwent maintenance and refit work, often came into contact with asbestos materials.
Asbestos exposure also occurred during the construction of Naval vessels, including HMAS vessels and patrol boats at various docks around Australia.
In addition to statutory entitlements, there are additional/alternative options and entitlements available to ex-servicemen and women who have been diagnosed with an asbestos-related condition,
Our specialist Dust Diseases practitioners can provide comprehensive advice about potential entitlements arising from exposure to asbestos during service with the Royal Australian Navy or associated with the Commonwealth.
