subject: Asbestos – The key facts [print this page] Asbestos The key facts
Asbestos is a naturally occurring fibrous mineral which comes in 3 forms white (chrysolite), blue (crocidolite) and brown (amosite). White asbestos has curly fibres when looked at under the microscope, while blue and brown asbestos have needle like straight fibres which are able to penetrate body tissues fairly easily - making these types of asbestos the most dangerous.
Asbestos was used extensively as building, insulating and fireproof material particularly from the 1950s to 1980s. As a result many workers have been exposed to asbestos in industrial environments, including power stations, shipping and dockyards and railway works. In particular asbestos has been widely used as pipe and boiler insulation, fireproofing material, and in brake linings and building panels.
However, the risk posed by asbestos is sadly not a problem of the past. Indeed, its use wasn't banned in Britain until 1999 and is still believed to remain in around 500,000 UK buildings. There is continuing concern that workers such as builders, plumbers and joiners who may do work on these buildings could be at risk.
Others may have been exposed to asbestos in some other way; for example indirectly by a wife washing her husband's overalls that had asbestos dust on them, or maybe someone coming into contact with asbestos in a building such as a library or hospital.
There is also concern about the presence of asbestos in schools. Teaching unions are campaigning for asbestos to be removed from schools, following Health and Safety figures showing that 228 teachers died from asbestos-related diseases between 1991 and 2005.
When asbestos is disturbed or damaged, dust and fibres are released, which if inhaled, can lead to the development of an asbestos related disease. An example of this is mesothelioma - a very rare form of cancer which asbestos has been known to contribute to. With mesothelioma, a tumour encases the lungs, heart or sometimes the stomach of sufferers. The condition is thought to be both fatal and incurable. It can be caused by exposure to one single asbestos fibre.
Asbestosis is a scarring to the lungs which can cause serious breathing difficulties, "crackles" in the chest and clubbing of the finger nails but is not a fatal condition. This is generally caused by a heavy exposure to asbestos. Similarly, pleural thickening has been linked to asbestos, and is a thickening of the lung lining, restricting the lung movement and causing breathing difficulties.
Finally, lung cancer is a tumour within the lung commonly caused by smoking but may also be caused by a heavy asbestos exposure.
If someone is concerned that they may be suffering from an asbestos related disease they should seek medical advice from their GP who is likely to refer them for an X-ray or CT scan.
There are a number of state benefits available for someone who is suffering from an asbestos related illness. It may also be possible to bring an asbestos claim and you should contact a specialist lawyer as there are time limits for bringing a claim. Compensation can be obtained to secure compensation for a sufferer and their family and any care or treatment costs.
The company where someone worked may no longer be in existence, but specialist asbestos lawyers are experienced in tracing companies and their insurers so a claim can go ahead.
The author of this article is a part of a digital blogging team who work with brands like Access Legal. The content contained in this article is for information purposes only and should not be used to make any financial decisions.
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