Bram Ates shows the skin grafts on the backs of his hands. Ates used his hands to shield his face when an explosion erupted at a VT Halter shipyard. Credit: Julie Dermansky for Reveal

Today, we released a new investigation into America’s shipbuilding industry. Reporter Jennifer Gollan found that since October 2008, the U.S. government has awarded more than $100 billion in contracts to seven private shipbuilders with tarnished safety records. The job of a shipyard worker carries an injury and illness rate that’s about 80 percent higher than regular construction; 76 workers were killed between 2005 and 2015.

As Gollan explains, President Donald Trump’s promises to ramp up the Navy could result in a golden age for businesses with questionable safety records. But it’s not just the armed services: Trump is looking to cut down on government regulation across the board, potentially changing the way business is conducted in a wide array of industries.

It could affect you. And if it does, we want to hear your stories. Beginning today, we’re collecting your responses and tips to this question: Does the Trump administration stand to have an effect on your workplace safety?

Your privacy is of the utmost importance to us, and we won’t use your story without permission. Please send us your experiences and tips to workers@revealnews.org.

If you’re worried about being discovered, here’s a guide for how to leak to us.

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Byard Duncan was a reporter and producer for  engagement and collaborations for Reveal. He managed Reveal’s Reporting Networks, which provide more than 1,000 local journalists across the U.S. with resources and training to continue Reveal investigations in their communities. He also helped lead audience engagement initiatives around Reveal’s stories and assists local reporters in elevating their work to a national platform. In addition to Reveal, Duncan’s work has appeared in GQ, Esquire, The California Sunday Magazine and Columbia Journalism Review, among other outlets. He was part of Reveal’s Behind the Smiles project team, which was named a Pulitzer Prize finalist in 2019. He is the recipient of two Edward R. Murrow Awards, a National Headliner Award, an Al Neuharth Innovation in Investigative Journalism Award, and two first-place awards for feature storytelling from the Society of Professional Journalists and Best of the West. Duncan is based in Reveal's Emeryville, California, office.