Mesothelioma Navy Asbestos Exposure in Naval Service 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is the significance of the 'bystander effect' in naval asbestos exposure cases?
- It refers to sailors who witnessed but did not report asbestos use
- It describes exposure of crew members working near but not directly with asbestos (Correct answer)
- It means asbestos affected only those with bystander personalities
- It is a legal doctrine preventing indirect exposure lawsuits
Correct answer: It describes exposure of crew members working near but not directly with asbestos
Bystander exposure occurs when crew members in adjacent areas inhale asbestos fibers released by nearby workers, often without knowing they were at risk.
Question 2: Which government agency established the first federal workplace asbestos exposure limits that eventually applied to naval shipyards?
- Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
- Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)
- Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) (Correct answer)
- Department of Defense (DoD)
Correct answer: Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)
OSHA established permissible exposure limits for asbestos in 1972, which began to apply to naval shipyard workers under civilian employment.
Question 3: What role did the Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) play in asbestos use on ships?
- It banned asbestos use in the 1950s
- It specified asbestos-containing materials in ship construction standards (Correct answer)
- It provided personal protective equipment to sailors
- It coordinated asbestos removal programs beginning in 1945
Correct answer: It specified asbestos-containing materials in ship construction standards
NAVSEA's ship specifications and standards mandated use of asbestos-containing materials in construction, making widespread exposure systemic rather than incidental.
Question 4: Navy veterans with mesothelioma who file VA claims are typically assigned which disability rating if the disease is service-connected?
- 10% disability rating
- 50% disability rating
- 70% disability rating
- 100% disability rating (Correct answer)
Correct answer: 100% disability rating
Mesothelioma is a terminal cancer that qualifies veterans for a 100% disability rating and additional special monthly compensation under VA benefit rules.
Question 5: What is the approximate latency period between asbestos exposure during naval service and mesothelioma diagnosis?
- 1–5 years
- 10–15 years
- 20–50 years (Correct answer)
- 5–10 years
Correct answer: 20–50 years
Mesothelioma has a latency period of 20 to 50 years, meaning veterans often receive diagnoses decades after their naval service ended.
Question 6: Which part of a Navy ship was covered with 'pipe lagging' that was almost universally made of asbestos-containing materials?
- Hull exterior plating
- Steam and hot water pipe insulation throughout the ship (Correct answer)
- Deck flooring in officer quarters
- Antenna masts and radar equipment
Correct answer: Steam and hot water pipe insulation throughout the ship
Pipe lagging — the insulation wrapping around steam and hot-water pipes — was one of the most widespread uses of asbestos throughout naval vessels.
Question 7: How does pleural mesothelioma, the most common form in Navy veterans, originate after asbestos exposure?
- Asbestos fibers dissolve into the bloodstream and attack the heart lining
- Inhaled fibers lodge in the pleura, causing chronic inflammation and malignant transformation (Correct answer)
- Ingested asbestos fibers migrate from the stomach to the lung lining
- UV radiation activates asbestos fibers already deposited in the skin
Correct answer: Inhaled fibers lodge in the pleura, causing chronic inflammation and malignant transformation
Asbestos fibers, once inhaled, penetrate deep into the lungs and become embedded in the pleura, triggering decades-long inflammation that leads to cancer.
Mesothelioma Navy Asbestos Exposure in Naval Service 3
What is the significance of the 'bystander effect' in naval asbestos exposure cases?