Myths About Asbestosis Claims

Asbestosis Claims and evidence of the death knell effect of asbestos on people who breathe its fibers is likely to increase in the future with more and more cases coming to the fore.

Asbestos, once hailed as the best and reliable building material available to the construction industries. The properties of being fire resistant, tensile strength, durability, flexibility and heat insulation made it popular since these properties meant that it could save lives and strengthen buildings. The evidence of the first use of asbestos was about 2000 years ago by the Greeks who firmly believed that its fire withstanding properties were too good to let go in spite of the health hazards it posed. The Greeks, in those times knew that asbestos caused health problems.

These health hazards were long forgotten until the turn of the 20th century. The medical research community observed too many unnatural and mistimed deaths in asbestos mining towns in the USA during the beginning of the First World War.

1924 saw the first diagnosis of Asbestosis in a 33 year old woman which led to further studies in the UK on asbestos workers. Research pointed to the fact that more than 30% of the workers in the asbestos industry suffered from lung diseases. This led to the government introducing laws to provide better ventilation and identification of asbestosis as a work related illness in 1931.

Asbestos has been manufactured in over 100 countries and used in over 24 countries worldwide well into the 20th century despite its relationship to the cause of asbestosis. The mind-blowing act that more than 5 million tones of asbestos was manufactured annually in the mid 20th century proves the utter disregard that the producers had for their employees and workers. Shipping, demolition, insulation and building industrial conglomerates failed to take adequate precautions and preventive measures to protect their workforce from workplace injury.

The effects of asbestosis are not apparent immediately. They take time to manifest and unveil the havoc. Diagnosis is often difficult and takes time by which the disease is rendered incurable. Since the height of asbestos usage was in 1960s and 70s, many asbestos workers are awaiting their fate with asbestosis and more and more cases are coming to the fore now.

The victims of asbestosis are entitled to compensation for irregularities of their companies in providing safer working conditions which has left them exposed to the harmful effects of asbestos years ago.

It is advisable that any victims get in touch with an experienced asbestos related solicitor at their earliest to get the right compensation and rebuild their future.

Julian Hall is the Director of Claims Master Group. Personal injury Claim, Asbestosis Claims

Asbestos - From Miracle Mineral To Mesothelioma Menace

During World War II Asbestos was hailed by many as a miracle mineral. Almost anything could be built or manufactured from this mineral. The building and construction industries used it as an additive to strengthen cement and plastics. Asbestos fibers can be separated into thin threads which do not conduct electricity and are not affected by heat or chemicals.

The four main types of asbestos are: Amosite with brown fibers, Anthophyllite with gray fibers, white Christie, and blue Crocidolite. Chrysotile has curly fibers while the other three have rod like fibers. These fibers break into dust quite easily and drift in the air. They can stick on skin, clothing, and can easily be swallowed or inhaled.

Use of asbestos skyrocketed during World War II. Shipbuilding used asbestos extensively in freighters and support vessels to insulate boilers, steam pipes and hot water pipes. Asbestos became the miracle construction material as it was easily obtained, processed, and transported.

After WWII cars used asbestos in break shoes and clutch pads. Asbestos found its way into residential and industrial building materials, water supply, sewage materials, ceiling and floor tiles, and vermiculite garden materials to name a few products.

In the 1970's the U.S Consumer Product Safety Commission banned the use of asbestos in several products that could release asbestos fibers into the environment during use, following the discoveries of the health dangers of asbestos dust inhalation. Regulations governing the use of asbestos and concern of public opinion since 1970 have created a significant drop in the use of asbestos in the United States.

In 1989 all new uses of asbestos were banned by the Environmental Protection Agency while any old uses before that year were still permitted. The EPA suggested that schools inspect for damaged asbestos and eliminate any exposure or enclose it in protective barriers. Vermiculite, widely used in horticulture, became a concern of the EPA that recommended outdoor use, limiting the amount of dust used, and keeping vermiculite damp.

Asbestos may create serious health hazards such as coughing, lung damage, shortness of breath, and lung cancer. Most people do not become sick in the early stages of development, but usually need continued exposure, often on jobs such as mining, milling, manufacturing asbestos products, and building construction. Firemen, demolition workers, drywall removers, and any other workers in trades that involve destruction of buildings, ships, and automobiles are also exposed to the hazards and risks of asbestos.

Over a period of years continual exposure to asbestos can cause very serious health problems, such as mesothelioma. Mesothelioma is a rare type of carcinoma of the membrane that lines numerous cavities of the body, including the lungs, abdomen and heart, and has been associated with exposure to asbestos dust. In mesothelioma, the cells of the mesothelioma metastasize and damage adjacent organs and tissues.

Risk of developing mesothelioma takes a long period of time, often as long as twenty-five or thirty-five years before full blown symptoms appear. Not all workers who have been exposed will develop diseases caused by asbestos, but workers who have been exposed to it may bring fibers on their clothing, hair, shoes, and skin home to their families. To circumvent this risk, most industries require workers to bathe and change their clothing before they leave work.

Many studies have been conducted involving the risks of diseases caused by exposure to asbestos. The results of one such study involving the risks of smoking and exposure to asbestos proved extremely hazardous.

For further information on asbestos, such as risks, research, lawsuits and disease support groups visit:

http://www.asbestos-headquarters.com

Grant Davis, is a freelance writer and has worked in a variety of fields, including teaching. Feel free to use the above article as long as it is reprinted in its entirety.