Asbestos Exposure at Avondale Shipyard
Located along the Mississippi River, Avondale Shipyard was once the largest shipyard in Louisiana and the state’s largest private employer. The shipyard played a key role in building many Navy and Coast Guard ships during World War II and subsequent wars, including destroyers, barges, oil rigs, cargo ships, container vessels, and more. Unfortunately, asbestos was widely used in shipbuilding and repair at Avondale Shipyard for most of its history, putting tens of thousands of workers at risk of developing asbestos-related diseases.
Last Updated:
- May 11, 2025
Key Facts About Avondale Shipyard
Other Names:
Avondale Marine Ways Inc., Avondale Shipyards Inc., Avondale Marine
Location:
5100 River Road, Avondale, Louisiana
Years of Operation
1938-2014
Number of Employees/Size:
Ranged from 300-26,000 employees
Ships Built:
USS Kirk, USS New York, USS Somerset, USCGC Greenbrier, USCGC Healy, and more.
Asbestos Exposure Risk:
Very high. More mesothelioma victims have worked at Avondale Shipyard than at any other job site in Louisiana.
Trades Exposed:
Insulators, pipefitters, machinists, millwrights, laborers, shipfitters, mechanics, welders, electricians, boilermakers, and more.
Common Areas of Exposure:
Inside the hulls of ships
Compensation:
Ranges from thousands of dollars to $10 million. Results may vary.
Prevalence of Asbestos at Avondale Shipyard
Due to the amount of asbestos used to maintain and construct ships throughout the 20th century, Avondale Shipyard was a very dangerous place to work. In addition to the amount of workplace asbestos exposure at Avondale, the work was performed in very tight confines inside the ships with almost no ventilation. Both military service members and civilians working at the yard were exposed to asbestos between the 1930s and 1980s.
Asbestos has largely been restricted since the 1980s. However, asbestos-containing materials were still present in many older ships repaired at the shipyard. Meanwhile, the safety precautions for workers on those ships were lax.
The use of respirators was not enforced at the yard; instead, workers wore rags over their noses as they blew the dust out of the compartments with air hoses.[1]
- A report by Nola.com
Common Areas of Asbestos Use at Avondale Shipyard
Many parts of the ships at Avondale Shipyard contain asbestos, including the long stretches of high-temperature piping running the ship’s length, the insulation, and the boilers attached to turbines, which generate steam to turn the propellers and power the ships. Additionally, asbestos lagging, a cloth-like material often used to wrap steam pipes in ships, may have contained up to 90 percent asbestos. Shipyard employees sometimes manufactured lagging onsite.
Shipyard workers were exposed to asbestos while using these high-temperature insulation products or working around other tradespeople using these products. Some of the most common types of asbestos-containing products used in ships include:
- Asbestos gaskets
- Asbestos lagging
- Block insulation
- Firebricks
- High-temperature insulation cements
- Pipe insulation
- Refractory cement
- Spray refractory products
- Valve packing material
Questions About Mesothelioma?
Many shipyard workers are uncertain about what steps to take after receiving a mesothelioma diagnosis.
Who Was Exposed to Asbestos at Avondale Shipyard?
All those who worked inside the ships at Avondale Shipyard, whether performing new construction or repair and maintenance, were likely exposed to asbestos. The shipyard had close to 30,000 workers at its peak during the shipbuilding frenzy of World War II and still employed thousands during the Vietnam and Cold Wars. The following tradesmen were at a particularly high risk for asbestos exposure at Avondale Shipyard:
- Insulators
- Shipfitters
- Plumbers and Pipefitters
- Mechanics
- Millwrights
- Laborers
- Welders
- Electricians
- Boilermakers
- Steelworkers
The facility was down to 5,000 employees in 2010 when defense contractor Northrop Grumman announced its intent to shutter the yard by 2013 due to decreased demand for naval shipbuilding. The shipyard closed in October 2014 but reopened eight years later with 300 employees—many of whom may still be exposed to asbestos while working on older vessels.
Family Members Are Also at Risk
Family members in the workers’ households are at risk of secondary asbestos exposure from the asbestos-laden clothing the workers wear home. Their work clothes were often covered in microscopic asbestos fibers that could be inhaled or ingested, particularly when the clothes were laundered.
What to Do If You Were Exposed to Asbestos at Avondale Shipyard
Please make sure you pay attention to your body.
Former Avondale Shipyard workers must watch their health closely by getting yearly chest X-rays. They should also ask their doctors to screen and monitor for any symptoms of an asbestos-related disease like mesothelioma.
If you worked at Avondale Shipyard and have been diagnosed with mesothelioma, contact us as soon as possible. Compensation is available from various sources for your medical bills and pain and suffering.
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Compensation Available for Avondale Shipyard Workers Diagnosed with Mesothelioma
Mesothelioma patients who worked at Avondale Shipyard have options for pursuing mesothelioma compensation. They may be eligible to pursue a mesothelioma lawsuit as well as receive compensation from various asbestos trust funds.
Did You Know?
Mesothelioma and lung cancer patients may be eligible for anywhere from $500,000 to $10 million in compensation. However, results vary and are not guaranteed.
Mesothelioma Settlements for Shipyard Workers
Our sponsor, Baron & Budd, P.C., has fought and won countless cases for mesothelioma patients exposed to asbestos at Louisiana shipyards like Avondale. Some or their notable results include the following:
$6.2 million
for a lifelong union boilermaker diagnosed with mesothelioma who worked at various shipyards throughout Louisiana.
Over $6 million
for a longshoreman and cargo handler on the Mississippi River who developed pleural mesothelioma from asbestos exposure while loading and unloading asbestos cargo.
$5.57 million
for a client who suffered from epithelioid pleural mesothelioma after only 12 days of work at the shipyard in 1973.
$3 million
for a Louisiana welder diagnosed with mesothelioma at the age of 51 from asbestos exposure at various shipyards and industrial sites.
Results are not guaranteed and vary.
Contact Louisiana Mesothelioma Advocates
If you or a loved one has worked at Avondale Shipyard and been diagnosed with mesothelioma or another asbestos-related illness, contact Louisiana Mesothelioma Advocates today. We will connect you with our sponsor, Baron & Budd, P.C. who can help you find the best mesothelioma doctors in your area and may be able to help you pursue compensation. Mesothelioma is a very aggressive cancer, and we urge you to act quickly.
Content Reviewed by
Todd Kale
Todd Kale meets with mesothelioma patients and their families across Louisiana to investigate their asbestos exposure, providing compassionate support and guidance during a difficult time.
Cited Source
- Lipinski, J. (2014, January 4). Former Avondale Shipyard Workers Remember the Heyday of the Business. NOLA.com. https://www.nola.com/news/business/former-avondale-shipyard-workers-remember-the-heyday-of-the-business/article_8c651406-00b8-5d2a-b01e-2ba8e9d27a74.html