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| Asbestosis |
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| What is it? |
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Asbestos fibres are long,
extremely thin, microscopic glass-like fibres that are not filtered by the nose or the lungs.
Asbestos fibres travel deep into the lungs to one of gas exchanging structures called an alveolus.
Each alveolus has many cleaning cells called macrophages that eat up any fibres
that made it down to the alveoli. |
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The macrophages cannot eat the fibres because they are too long, so they are cut open and
digestive molecules spill into the alveolus, these molecules injure the alveolus
and cause it to form a scar. This scarring formation is called fibrosis and will
cause the lungs to shrink and stiffen. |
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| People who are exposed
to asbestos inhale hundreds and thousands of asbestos fibres, which causes large-scale injury.
Such large-scale injury is when major lung damage (fibrosis) develops and is called Asbestosis
after the disease-causing particle. |
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| Symptoms / Exposure |
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| Asbestosis is a chronically progressive disease.
Initial symptoms include shortness of breath, fatigue and loss of appetite, chest tightness and pain,
crackles within the lungs and clubbing of fingers and toes. |
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People working in industries such as plumbing, demolition work and at power stations,
were likely to have been exposed to breathing in fibres of asbestos often over a period of years.
Asbestosis can take 20 years or more to develop, so ill effects are not instantly traceable to asbestos. |
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Some of the work environments in which people came in to contact with asbestos are: |
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 Shipyard workers
Boiler & engine rooms
Power stations
Asbestos plant workers
Heating & Air conditioning
Industrial & chemical plants
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Schools
Hospitals
Boiler makers
Electricians
Plumbers
Oil refineries
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Construction sites
Steamfitters
Glass factory workers
Cement plant workers
Telephone engineers
Metal workers & lathers
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| Asbestos - Are you still at risk? |
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Asbestos is a naturally occurring fibre which is mined in various parts of the world, notably South Africa and Canada.
It occurs in three forms known as blue, brown and white asbestos.
It can be processed in several ways for industrial use.
Its' properties of resistance to heat, electricity and sound, make it useful for a variety of purposes,
particularly insulation and brake linings. |
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Asbestos can still be found in a wide variety of buildings, including homes, schools and hospitals,
often in lagging around pipes and boilers as well as in ceilings and walls.
It can be a hazard to health and for this reason its use has declined considerably in recent years.
There are now strict regulations to prevent dangerous levels of exposure. |
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Discovery of asbestos in a building often causes alarm among people living and working in it.
However, as long as the asbestos is well maintained and preferably covered by an impermeable layer of paint or
other material so that it is not releasing dust, it does not present any hazard to health.
It is only the inhalation of loose asbestos fibres which may cause diseases.
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| Making a claim |
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| If you have been diagnosed with asbestosis
in the last 3 years you will be able to make a claim. |
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The success of the claim will depend on whether the company where the exposure occurred is
still in existence.
If you are not sure, don't worry; it could be that the company was taken over,
or that the insurers of the company still exist. In either case we will find out on your behalf
as part of the service. |
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| Simply call us on freephone 0800 783 9535. |
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