U.S. Shipyard Asbestos Exposure Dataset v1.6

Q: What are the three evidence tiers in the Asbestos Atlas classification system?

Tier 1 consists of peer-reviewed cohort studies published in PubMed-indexed journals with quantified exposure metrics. Tier 2 includes government industrial hygiene surveys such as NIOSH HHEs, OSHA inspections, and EPA Superfund assessments. Tier 3 covers court records, NARA archival documents, and historical industrial surveys that document asbestos presence without statistical rigor.

Q: What qualifies as Tier 1 evidence of shipyard asbestos exposure?

Tier 1 evidence requires an epidemiological study published in a peer-reviewed journal with PubMed indexing. These typically involve mortality or morbidity cohorts with quantified exposure metrics such as standardized mortality ratios (SMR), odds ratios (OR), or measured fiber concentrations. Examples include Rinsky et al. (1988) for Portsmouth Naval Shipyard and Kolonel et al. (1985) for Pearl Harbor.

Q: What is Tier 2 evidence in the shipyard asbestos exposure dataset?

Tier 2 evidence includes official government documentation of workplace conditions: NIOSH Health Hazard Evaluations (HHEs), OSHA inspection records with citation numbers, EPA Superfund site assessments, and military industrial hygiene surveys. These provide authoritative confirmation of asbestos exposure without the statistical methodology of peer-reviewed cohort studies.

Q: How many U.S. shipyards have Tier 1 peer-reviewed evidence of asbestos exposure?

Seven shipyards in the dataset have Tier 1 peer-reviewed cohort evidence: Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard, Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, Long Beach Naval Shipyard, Bethlehem Steel Sparrows Point, Newport News Shipbuilding, and Norfolk Naval Shipyard.

Q: Can court records alone establish asbestos exposure at a shipyard?

Court records are classified as Tier 3 evidence. While they document asbestos presence and exposure through sworn testimony and judicial findings, they lack the statistical rigor of Tier 1 epidemiological studies. However, when combined with Tier 2 government surveys, they provide strong corroborating evidence. Examples include Lilley v. Johns-Manville (1991) for Sun Shipbuilding.

Danziger, Paul; De Llano, Rod

doi:10.5281/zenodo.22313866

Tier 1 — Peer-Reviewed Cohort Studies

Epidemiological studies published in peer-reviewed journals with PubMed indexing. These represent the strongest evidence of occupational asbestos exposure, typically involving mortality or morbidity cohorts with quantified exposure metrics.

Tier 2 — Government Industrial Hygiene Surveys

NIOSH Health Hazard Evaluations (HHEs), OSHA inspection records, EPA Superfund assessments, and military industrial hygiene surveys. Official government documentation of workplace conditions.

Tier 3 — Court Records & Environmental/Historical Sources

Litigation records, NARA archival documents, EPA CERCLA site assessments, and historical industrial surveys. These provide documented evidence of asbestos presence and exposure but lack the statistical rigor of Tier 1 studies.