Navy Storekeepers (SK) — the enlisted rating responsible for receiving, storing, issuing, and managing inventory of repair parts, consumable materials, and general supplies for Navy ships and shore commands — served both aboard naval vessels in shipboard supply departments and at naval shore supply centers and naval shipyard supply facilities. SK ratings aboard ships managed the storerooms containing replacement parts for the engineering plant, including asbestos-containing packing materials, asbestos gasket stock, and asbestos pipe covering and insulation materials issued to engineering ratings for equipment maintenance. Storekeepers at naval supply centers and naval shipyard supply warehouses managed warehouse inventory that included asbestos-containing materials — asbestos packing, asbestos gasket sheet, asbestos pipe covering, and asbestos-containing repair materials — that were standard supply items for naval equipment maintenance through the mid-1970s. Navy Storekeepers handling, storing, and issuing asbestos-containing supply materials in shipboard storerooms and shore supply warehouses accumulated asbestos exposure from the direct handling of asbestos-containing supply items during inventory management and materials issuance operations.

Shipboard Storeroom Asbestos Materials Handling

SK ratings aboard ships handled asbestos-containing supply items directly:

  • Asbestos packing and gasket stock handling — shipboard supply department storerooms aboard WWII-era and Cold War Navy ships stocked asbestos-containing braided packing material, compressed asbestos sheet gasket stock, and pre-cut asbestos gasket sets as standard repair parts for engineering plant maintenance. Storekeepers managing the engineering supply storerooms handled spools and bundles of asbestos braided packing and sheets of compressed asbestos gasket material during inventory management, parts issuance to engineering ratings, and storeroom reorganization operations, with direct handling of the asbestos packing and gasket materials releasing asbestos fiber from the material surfaces during each handling event
  • Asbestos pipe covering and insulation stock — shipboard storerooms stocked asbestos pipe covering sections and asbestos block insulation as repair materials for pipe insulation maintenance. Storekeepers handling asbestos pipe covering and insulation materials during storeroom management and materials issuance encountered asbestos fiber from the handled insulation materials
  • Storeroom location in ship interior — shipboard supply storerooms were located within the ship’s interior construction using asbestos-containing building materials consistent with the ship’s overall construction. SK ratings working in the shipboard storerooms accumulated background asbestos exposure from the storeroom space construction in addition to direct handling exposure from the asbestos-containing supply items

Shore Supply Center and Warehouse Asbestos

SK ratings at shore supply facilities handled asbestos supply stock:

  • Naval supply center warehouse operations — Storekeepers assigned to naval supply centers and Naval Supply Systems Command warehouse facilities managed large quantities of asbestos-containing repair materials — asbestos packing, gasket stock, pipe covering, and block insulation — that were stocked as standard naval supply items through the mid-1970s. SK ratings performing warehouse receiving, storage, and issue operations in naval supply warehouses handled asbestos-containing materials in bulk quantities during warehouse operations
  • Naval shipyard supply facility operations — Storekeepers at naval shipyard supply facilities managed asbestos-containing materials specifically for shipyard ship repair use. The high volume of asbestos-containing materials flowing through naval shipyard supply operations for ship repair and overhaul created sustained exposure for Storekeepers managing the shipyard supply materials

VA Claims for Navy Storekeepers

VA presumptive service connection under 38 CFR § 3.309(d) covers asbestos exposure from Navy supply and logistics operations. Storekeepers who handled asbestos-containing packing, gasket, and insulation materials in shipboard storerooms and naval supply shore facilities and have since been diagnosed with mesothelioma, asbestosis, or asbestos-related lung cancer may qualify for VA disability benefits.