Active between 1943 and 1997, this shipyard was situated on Terminal Island between Long Beach and the San Pedro district of Los Angeles. During the last century, the main purpose of it was the overhaul and maintenance of conventional U.S. Navy surface ships. However, Long Beach Naval Shipyard also served as the home port for several auxiliary ships. Unfortunately, people working for this shipyard would be heavily exposed to asbestos on a daily basis, particularly insulators. Asbestos has many convenient properties, such as fire and heat resistance, durability, and resistance to electricity and various chemicals. Workers had to directly handle asbestos products while maintaining and repairing the ships, which would generate toxic dust that they would subsequently breathe in.