{"id":3373,"date":"2010-09-29T08:37:52","date_gmt":"2010-09-29T07:37:52","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.theinjurylawyers.co.uk\/injury-lawyers-blog\/?p=3373"},"modified":"2015-11-30T14:22:50","modified_gmt":"2015-11-30T14:22:50","slug":"what-you-need-to-know-asbestos","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.theinjurylawyers.co.uk\/injury-lawyers-blog\/2010\/09\/29\/what-you-need-to-know-asbestos\/","title":{"rendered":"Asbestos – What you need to know!"},"content":{"rendered":"

Asbestos has been a popular building material since the 1950\u2019s and is a naturally occurring fibrous material. It is used as an insulator that keeps the heat in and cold out. Its strong fibre protection means that it helps prevent corrosion.<\/p>\n

If the building you are working on was built before the year 2000 then it is likely that some parts of the building contain asbestos. However, because asbestos is often mixed with another material it is often hard to tell if you\u2019re working with it<\/strong>. Asbestos can be found in many products used in buildings, including ceiling tiles, pipe insulation, boilers and sprayed coatings.
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White, blue and brown asbestos are all potentially dangerous<\/strong> and have all been banned<\/strong> in the UK. If asbestos becomes damaged, its fine fibres become airborne. This means that they can be inhaled, if inhaled they trigger an inflammatory reaction in the lung tissue.<\/p>\n

The body will then realise that there\u2019s a problem and will send defensive white blood cells to attack the fibres. As the fibres usually resist and destroy the white blood cells, this promotes further inflammation and scarring of the lungs.<\/p>\n

Anyone who\u2019s exposed to asbestos may develop an asbestos related illness<\/strong>. There\u2019s no safety measure on how long a person can work with asbestos before developing an illness, but it\u2019s thought those who spend more time with it are at a higher risk. There are certain types of occupations that make it more likely for you to work with asbestos, especially if the building you are working on was built before the year 2000. These include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Electricians<\/td>\nCable layers<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Building surveyors<\/td>\nPainters and decorators<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Telecommunications engineers<\/td>\nGeneral maintenance staff<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Computer installers<\/td>\nHeating and ventilation engineers<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Demolition workers<\/td>\nCarpenters and joiners<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Plumbers<\/td>\nRoofing contractors<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n

If you have been affected by asbestos the symptoms might not reveal themselves for 25-40 years later. Below are some symptoms to look out for:<\/p>\n