Longshoremen and dockworkers were exposed to asbestos in a way almost no other trade was: they handled the raw mineral itself. For decades, chrysotile and amosite asbestos moved through American ports as bulk cargo — allegedly shipped in burlap and paper bags that split, leaked, and dusted the men who loaded and unloaded them. On top of that, longshoremen worked in the holds and engine spaces of ships built full of asbestos gaskets, packing, and insulation.

How Longshoremen Were Exposed

The heaviest exposure came from handling bags and sacks of raw asbestos fiber dockside. Longshoremen manhandled these bags out of cargo holds, stacked them on pallets, and moved them across the pier — and the bags routinely tore, releasing clouds of loose fiber directly into the men’s breathing zone. Cleaning up spilled fiber and sweeping out holds after a raw-asbestos cargo added more.

Exposure did not stop at raw fiber. Loading and unloading general cargo meant breaking into crates and drums of finished asbestos products — cement pipe and board, insulation, and packaged industrial goods. And working inside the ships themselves — in engine rooms, boiler spaces, and holds lined with asbestos insulation and sealed with asbestos gaskets and packing — exposed longshoremen to the same shipboard materials that sickened the crews.

The Asbestos Materials — and the Products They Came In

Exposure tracked to a handful of material types. Each links to products documented in the AsbestosIndex as allegedly asbestos-containing:

Raw asbestos fiber cargo — bags and sacks of loose mineral handled and stacked dockside:

Ship gaskets & packing — sealing materials in the engine and boiler spaces longshoremen worked in and around:

Cargo-hold & bulkhead insulation — asbestos board and insulation lining the holds and compartments:

Browse the full Marine & Shipyard Products and Gaskets & Packing categories for more.

Take-Home Risk to Families

Longshoremen carried asbestos fibers home on their clothing, skin, and hair — the raw-fiber dust from bag handling was especially heavy — exposing spouses and children who never went near the waterfront. See take-home asbestos exposure.

If you worked as a longshoreman or dockworker and were diagnosed with mesothelioma or another asbestos-related disease after exposure to asbestos on the job, you may have a legal claim against the makers of the asbestos products involved.

Product references reflect allegations documented in publicly filed asbestos litigation. This information is published by an independent media organization — not a law firm — and is educational only. It does not constitute legal advice or provide legal services.