Latest California Asbestos and Mesothelioma News

San Francisco Drydock

San Francisco Drydock (SFD) is located in the north end of Potrero Point in San Francisco, California. The area underwent a period of reconstruction and further expansion after the 1906 earthquake that demolished many 19th century buildings and structures in San Francisco. It is the largest salable shipyard in San Francisco, occupying the facilities from the Bethlehem Steel Company and Union Iron Works. It is reserved by the United States Marine Repair Company, which commands five significant shipyards across the country. This industrial location is the largest undiminished industrial port site in San Francisco, and one of the most durable continuously-operated civilian shipyards in the United States. Union Iron Works was established in 1850 and transferred to a 23-acre yard in 1881, at which time 1,300 people were employed in building ships, bridges and mining machinery and weapons for use in progressing westward expansion. Bethlehem Steel, which then constructed dozens of destroyers and reconditioned submarines on this site during World War II, later purchased the shipyard. Although the SFD enterprise continues to repair ships in this location, many of the earliest shipyard buildings are empty or are under-utilized. The Port of San Francisco has plans to revamp much of this waterfront.

SFD was famed for building heavy-duty machinery for California’s gold mines. As the demand for mining declined, Union Iron Works looked for additional markets. Railroads and shipping posed to be good responses, and in 1885, Union Iron works generated the first steel ship ever assembled on the Pacific Coast. As the years passed, ship repair took center stage over ship constructing, and the attention was on U.S. Navy as well as on commercial ships. The old Union Iron Works became SFD in 1917, first by itself and just recently as a branch of Southwest Marine, which controls dry docks in San Pedro and San Diego. SFD contributed largely to victory shipbuilding during World War II. More than 30 shipyards, grand and small, and multitudes of machine shops and metal and wood assemblers united to develop the world's largest associated shipbuilding complex. Dissimilar to any major shipyards on the East Coast that were concentrated in compact urban areas, Bay Area shipbuilding sprawled across hundreds of square miles, from Napa in the north, Sacramento and Stockton in the east, to San Jose in the south. Sometime later, Southwest Marine was modified to be part of U.S. Marine Repair, Inc., with shipyards able to repair on both coasts and in the Gulf. Despite changes in ownership (though still operating under the name of SFD), the old iron works is still alive and well today. SFD has a constant stream of upkeep and repair work from the U.S. Maritime Administration’s Ready Reserve ships and the Military Sealift Command, which comprise Naval ships, such as supply ships, operated by civilian workers under the department.

Established before the 1980s, SFD regularly used asbestos-containing substances. California residents were exposed to asbestos in this shipyard. Many residents today are diagnosed with asbestos-associated conditions. While performing their duties, employees were unaware of the dangerous exposure to the hazardous material. Personnel who have been vulnerable to dangerous asbestos fibers include insulators, boil makers, plumbers, electricians, ironworkers, and pipe fitters. Higher risk levels and victim compensation could be elevated due to non-communication about asbestos. If you or a loved one has been exposed at this facility, please fill out a form to receive a free informational brochure or call us directly at 1-800-741-4768 to speak with us today.