Kaiser Shipyards would encompass seven major shipbuilding yards located on the West Coast during World War II. The company ranked 20th among American corporations in the value of wartime production contracts. Out of the seven shipyards, 4 were located in Richmond, California, and were known as the Richmond Shipyards. The other 3 were located in the Pacific Northwest. Kaiser Shipyards built a whopping 1,490 military vessels. However, people who worked on any of these shipyards are now at high risk of developing a life-threatening disease, as they were exposed to asbestos on the job. Asbestos would lurk in over 300 products aboard every ship, and when handling asbestos products, employees would inevitably release toxic dust in the air.