Occupational health programs in United States Naval shipyards

Our plain-English summary of Occupational health programs in United States Naval shipyards, by G. M. Lawton, P. J. Snyder (1978).

The study

• Authors: G. M. Lawton, P. J. Snyder
• Published: Environmental Research 16:162-168 (Academic Press) (1978)
• Type of article: Conference paper
• Our copy: from Johns-Manville's own medical library, J-M no. 004279. The article is still under copyright, so we describe it here rather than post it.

In plain English

This article was a descriptive overview, not a research study. The authors, from Navy health offices, traced occupational health programs in United States Naval Shipyards from 1941 onward. They reported that silicosis, lead poisoning and metal fume fever were among the most significant recognized hazards in World War II shipyards. Other known hazards included carbon monoxide, chromium, mercury, cyanide and solvents. Asbestos was dismissed as relatively insignificant, and shipyard health studies then falsely concluded it was relatively safe. Noise was totally neglected in wartime shipyards. Eye injuries were the most common industrial accident. Asbestos and noise came to be seen as significant problems by the late 1950s. The authors also wrote that the Navy hoped to replace asbestos as much as possible. They noted a prediction that asbestos-exposed wartime shipyard workers might bring a wave of asbestos-induced cancer in the 1970s, and said a study covering all Naval Shipyards was planned. The authors concluded that Navy programs had generally kept pace with current knowledge but had been deficient in some areas in the past. The article presented no exposure measurements or disease rates.

We wrote this plain-English summary from the full article with the help of AI, and a second AI model checked each sentence against the article. It is not the authors' wording; the abstract and the article are their own account.

What the study did and found

• Design: Descriptive historical overview of Navy shipyard occupational health programs (not a study with data)
• Who was studied: Civilian workforce and health programs of United States Naval Shipyards, 1941 to the time of writing. At the time of writing there were 10 Naval shipyards with 60,800 civilian personnel (printed as "60.800" in the scanned text).
• Exposure: General shipyard hazards. The article names silicosis, lead, metal fume fever, carbon monoxide, chromium, mercury, cyanide, solvents, noise, radiation and asbestos. It does not specify asbestos fiber types or doses.
• Main results:
  • Silicosis, lead poisoning and metal fume fever were among the most significant recognized health hazards in World War II shipyards.
  • Other hazardous agents known in wartime shipyards were carbon monoxide, chromium, mercury, cyanide and solvents.
  • Shipyard health studies of the wartime period falsely concluded that asbestos was a relatively safe material, so health efforts were directed at hazards such as lead.
  • Noise was totally neglected in wartime shipyards. Later hearing conservation programs were not entirely successful, and many hearing loss compensation claims were being filed at the time of writing.
  • Eye injuries were the most common industrial accident in wartime shipyards.
  • Asbestos and noise came to be seen as significant health problems by the late 1950s.
  • Navy Bureau of Medicine instructions covered topics including the control of asbestos, and the Navy hoped to replace asbestos as much as possible.
  • The authors noted a prediction that thousands of wartime shipyard workers exposed to asbestos might bring a wave of asbestos-induced cancer in the 1970s. A study of potentially exposed workers in all Naval Shipyards was planned.
• The authors' conclusion: The authors concluded that shipyard programs and Navy policy had generally kept pace with current knowledge and practice. They also stated that the Navy recognized its occupational health programs had been deficient in some areas in the past.

Topics

Medical terms in this study, explained in our Lexicon: Silicosis.

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