Military use of asbestos is high, especially in naval ships, and each of these installations exposed military personnel, civilian workers, families, and others to the dangers of asbestos during the course of operation. Coast Guard also operates two significant bases in Honolulu and Wailuku. Given the state’s position far from the mainland, the U.S. Army facilities, including a medical center and an airfield. Navy base at Pearl Harbor is certainly the most well-known military base in Hawaii, but the state’s islands also house a number of U.S. Other agricultural companies with known exposure to asbestos include the Hawaiian Pineapple Company, Dole Company, and Lahaina Plantation. The sugar industry is particularly well known as an agricultural concern that has exposed a lot of workers to asbestos, and firms like the Hilo Sugar Company, Hutchinson Sugar Plantation Company, and Paauhau Sugar Plantation Company are all confirmed jobsites that have led to mesothelioma diagnoses. Agriculture:Īsbestos has often been employed in agricultural machinery used during planting, harvesting, and processing crops. Given the amount of asbestos used in ships, this makes for a lot of potential exposure over the years. Today, more than 80% of the state’s goods are imported through Honolulu Harbor, which also sees the arrival of nearly 260,000 cruise ship passengers each year. This is especially true in the late 19th century and early 20th century with the growth of the whaling and fishing industries, and then even more so leading into World War II, when shipping was controlled by the military government. Shipping:Īs a state made up of islands, shipping understandably is a very important part of Hawaii’s economy. With no naturally occurring deposits of asbestos on the Hawaiian Islands, all asbestos exposure in the state comes from commercial activity. Asbestos in Workplaces Asbestos Exposure in Hawaii Workplaces Overall mesothelioma incidence in Hawaii is very low, with only a slightly higher incidence on the Big Island than the other islands (Source: Journal of the American Medical Association)Ġ2.There are no known asbestos deposits on the islands of Hawaii (Source: USGS).From 1999-2015, 117 Hawaiian residents died from mesothelioma.Statistics Hawaii Mesothelioma and Asbestos Statistics

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