For over 150 years, Barrow-in-Furness has built ships and submarines on the Walney Channel, and generations of workers were exposed to asbestos lagging, insulation and fitting-out materials, alongside high noise from riveting, caulking and grinding. Barrow-in-Furness has recorded the highest mesothelioma and asbestosis death rates of any local authority area in Great Britain. If you or a family member worked in Barrow’s shipyard, on submarine construction, or in a related trade and later developed an asbestos-related disease or noise-induced hearing loss, our asbestos and mesothelioma solicitors can help you bring a claim, however long ago the work took place and wherever in Cumbria you live now.
According to the Dock Museum in Barrow, ships have been built on the Walney Channel since 1871, when a shipbuilding company was established to take advantage of the town’s iron and steel works and its new dock complex. The first submarine built at Barrow’s shipyard launched in 1886, and in 1901 the yard completed Holland 1, the first submarine commissioned by the Royal Navy. During the First World War the workforce at Barrow’s shipyard peaked at more than 30,000 people. Through the 20th century the yard built passenger liners, battleships, aircraft carriers and merchant vessels, and in 1960 it launched HMS Dreadnought, Britain’s first nuclear-powered submarine. The yard was nationalised in 1977, privatised again in 1986, and Barrow’s shipyard continues to build submarines today.
Why does Barrow-in-Furness have one of the highest rates of asbestos disease in Britain?
HSE’s July 2026 analysis of mesothelioma deaths by area shows that Barrow-in-Furness recorded the highest male mesothelioma death rate of any local authority area in Great Britain for the period 1981 to 2024, with a standardised mortality ratio (SMR) of 399.3, meaning mesothelioma deaths among Barrow men were almost four times the national average, and the sixth highest rate among women, at an SMR of 213.9. Over the same period, HSE’s asbestos-related disease statistics show that Barrow-in-Furness also recorded the highest asbestosis death rate of any local authority in Great Britain, with an SMR of 790.8. Since 1 April 2023, Barrow-in-Furness has formed part of the new Westmorland and Furness unitary authority following local government reorganisation, but the historic figures reflect more than a century of shipbuilding and submarine construction, an industry the HSE specifically names among those with the heaviest past occupational asbestos exposures. Nationally, asbestos still causes over 5,000 deaths a year in Great Britain, including 2,146 mesothelioma deaths in 2024 alone.
Under the new Westmorland and Furness unitary authority, which now includes Barrow, the male mesothelioma SMR for the period 1981 to 2024 stands at 170.1, based on 507 recorded deaths, still substantially above the national average of 100. This reflects the long latency of asbestos disease. Mesothelioma and asbestosis typically take between 20 and 50 years to develop after exposure, so people who worked in the shipyard or on submarine construction decades ago may only now be developing symptoms and receiving a diagnosis. This is why industrial disease claims from Barrow often relate to work carried out before the current shipyard workforce was born.
What asbestos exposure affected workers in Barrow’s shipyard and submarine construction?
Asbestos was used extensively in ship and submarine construction throughout the 20th century, valued for its fire resistance, thermal insulation and soundproofing properties. Pipework, boilers, engine rooms and bulkheads were routinely lagged with asbestos insulation, and asbestos board and asbestos-cement sheeting were widely used for fire breaks and partitioning during fitting-out. HSE advises that any building constructed or refurbished before 2000 should be presumed to contain asbestos unless proven otherwise, and the ships and submarines of the same era were no different; the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012 now govern how the material must be managed. Blue and brown asbestos were banned in Great Britain in 1985, and white asbestos was banned in 1999, but by then several generations of Barrow shipyard asbestos exposure had already occurred.
- Laggers and asbestos insulation engineers, who fitted and later stripped out lagging around pipes, boilers and engine spaces
- Boilermakers, platers and welders working in engine rooms and other confined compartments
- Pipefitters and plumbers installing and maintaining asbestos-lagged pipework
- Joiners and fitters cutting and fixing asbestos board during fitting-out
- Electricians working alongside insulation and fireproofing materials in cramped spaces
- Labourers and general shipyard workers exposed to airborne asbestos dust in dockside sheds and workshops
National HSE occupational statistics illustrate how severely these trades were affected. Men whose last recorded occupation was ‘boat and ship builders and repairers’ had an asbestosis mortality rate 648% higher than the average across all occupations, and pipe fitters a rate more than 900% higher, for the period 2011 to 2020. Lagging, pipefitting and fitting-out work in the confined spaces of a hull or a submarine produced some of the heaviest exposures of all.
Common asbestos and industrial disease conditions linked to shipyard work
| Condition | What it is | Typically appears | Claimable |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mesothelioma | An aggressive cancer of the lining of the lung or abdomen, almost always caused by asbestos exposure | 20 to 50 years after exposure | Yes, including fatal claims by family members |
| Asbestosis | Scarring of the lung tissue caused by inhaling asbestos fibres, which can worsen over time | 20 to 40 years after exposure, often after heavy exposure | Yes |
| Pleural thickening | Thickening and scarring of the lining around the lung, which can cause breathlessness | 20 to 40 years after exposure | Yes |
| Noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) | Permanent hearing damage caused by prolonged exposure to loud noise at work | Often gradual, noticed years after the noisy work ended | Yes |
Swipe sideways to see the whole table
Can shipyard noise lead to a hearing loss claim in Cumbria?
Shipyard work also caused significant occupational noise exposure. Riveting, caulking, grinding, chipping and plating work in Barrow’s shipyard would have produced very high noise levels, often over years or decades, well above what is now recognised as safe. The Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 created a general duty on employers to protect employees’ health, and the Noise at Work Regulations 1989, later replaced by the Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005, set legal limits on daily noise exposure, with a lower action value of 80 dB(A) and an upper action value of 85 dB(A). For exposure before 1989, the courts generally treat 1963, the year the Ministry of Labour published its ‘Noise and the Worker’ booklet, as the point from which employers ought reasonably to have known of the risk of hearing damage from excessive workplace noise. HSE currently estimates that around 15,000 workers in Great Britain have hearing problems caused or made worse by work each year. If you developed permanent noise-induced hearing loss, tinnitus or acoustic shock while working in Barrow’s shipyard, you may still be able to bring a shipyard hearing loss claim, even many years after leaving the trade.
Barrow shipbuilding and asbestos regulation timeline
| Year | Milestone |
|---|---|
| 1871 | Shipbuilding begins on the Walney Channel at Barrow |
| 1886 | First submarine launched at Barrow’s shipyard |
| 1901 | Holland 1, the Royal Navy’s first commissioned submarine, completed at Barrow |
| 1917 | Shipyard workforce at Barrow peaks at over 30,000 during the First World War |
| 1960 | HMS Dreadnought, Britain’s first nuclear-powered submarine, launched at Barrow |
| 1963 | Ministry of Labour publishes ‘Noise and the Worker’, the recognised date of knowledge for noise-induced hearing loss claims |
| 1985 | Blue and brown asbestos banned in Great Britain |
| 1999 | White asbestos banned in Great Britain |
| 2023 | Barrow-in-Furness becomes part of the new Westmorland and Furness unitary authority |
Swipe sideways to see the whole table
“Barrow’s figures are the starkest in the country, and they reflect a town where whole families went through the yard gates. Many of the people we speak to worked on ships or submarines thirty or forty years ago and are only now being diagnosed. Finding out whether you have a claim costs nothing, and the claim itself is against the insurer, not the yard.”
Frequently asked questions
How do I know if I have a claim for asbestos disease from working at Barrow’s shipyard?
If you worked in Barrow’s shipyard, on submarine construction, or in a related trade such as lagging, pipefitting or boilermaking, and have since been diagnosed with mesothelioma, asbestosis or pleural thickening, you are likely to have a claim. Our mesothelioma solicitors can assess your work history and diagnosis for free.
Why does Barrow-in-Furness have such a high rate of asbestos-related disease?
Barrow-in-Furness recorded the highest male mesothelioma death rate of any local authority in Great Britain for the period 1981 to 2024, with an SMR of 399.3, reflecting more than a century of shipbuilding and submarine construction, industries the HSE identifies as among the heaviest historic sources of asbestos exposure.
I can’t remember the exact dates I worked in the shipyard. Can I still claim?
Yes. We can help trace employment history through HMRC records, trade union records and colleague witness statements, and the Employers’ Liability Tracing Office can help identify the relevant insurer even where exact dates are unclear.
What if the shipyard’s insurer from that time no longer exists?
The Employers’ Liability Tracing Office maintains records of historic employer insurance policies, and where no insurer can be traced, the Diffuse Mesothelioma Payment Scheme, created under the Mesothelioma Act 2014, provides compensation for people with mesothelioma.
Can I make an industrial disease claim if the shipyard has changed ownership over the years?
Yes. A claim is made against the employer’s insurance in place at the time of exposure, not against the company’s current name or ownership, so later changes in ownership do not prevent a valid claim.
Can I claim for hearing loss caused by noise in the shipyard?
Yes. If you developed permanent noise-induced hearing loss, tinnitus or acoustic shock from years of riveting, caulking, grinding or other noisy shipyard work, you may be able to bring a shipyard hearing loss claim, particularly for noise exposure after 1963.
My relative died from mesothelioma. Can the family still claim?
Yes. Family members can bring a claim on behalf of a relative who has died from an asbestos-related disease, usually within three years of the death or of asbestos being identified as a cause of death.
How much compensation could I receive for an asbestos or industrial disease claim?
Compensation depends on the severity of the condition, its impact on daily life, and any financial losses, and is guided by the Judicial College Guidelines (JCG) compensation brackets for each condition. We can explain the relevant bracket for your specific diagnosis during a free assessment.
Speak to a specialist asbestos and industrial disease solicitor in Cumbria
WE Solicitors has represented people with industrial disease across the North West since 2001, and acts for clients in Cumbria by phone, video call, post and email, so nobody needs to travel to Oldham. Whether your condition is mesothelioma, asbestosis, pleural thickening or noise-induced hearing loss, our specialist team can assess your claim for free and explain the claims process in plain English, on a no win, no fee basis.
WE Solicitors LLP is regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority, SRA number 445359. We are members of the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers and the Professional Negligence Lawyers Association.
Sources
The figures and legal references on this page come from the following authorities, checked at the time of publication.
- HSE, Mesothelioma statistics for Great Britain, 2026, published July 2026. https://www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/assets/docs/mesothelioma.pdf
- HSE, Asbestos-related disease statistics, Great Britain 2026, published July 2026. https://www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/assets/docs/asbestos-related-disease.pdf
- HSE, Mesothelioma deaths by Geographical Area, Great Britain 2026 (deaths 1981-2024), published July 2026. https://www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/assets/docs/mesoarea.pdf
- HSE, Work-related hearing problems in Great Britain, updated January 2026. https://www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/causdis/deafness/index.htm
- The Dock Museum, Barrow: Shipbuilding in Barrow (history and workforce figures). https://dockmuseum.org.uk/objects-and-stories/shipbuilding-barrow
- Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012 (SI 2012/632), legislation.gov.uk. https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2012/632/contents/made
- Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005 (SI 2005/1643), legislation.gov.uk. https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2005/1643/contents/made
- Limitation Act 1980, section 11, legislation.gov.uk. https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1980/58/section/11
- HSE, guidance on presuming asbestos in buildings built or refurbished before 2000. https://www.hse.gov.uk/asbestos/duty/is-asbestos-present.htm
