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Global Asbestos Awareness Week Is 1st to 7th April 2025

Asbestos related illness, Mesothilioma, remains the number one killer of people in many countries and industries across the world.

Indeed, according to the Health & Safety Executive (HSE), Asbestos is the greatest cause of work-related deaths in Great Britain. They claim that around 5,000 people die every year, although some sources say it is far more, from asbestos-related diseases which typically take decades to develop and cannot be cured.

However, their figures do not take into account members of the public who are exposed to asbestos in places such as government buildings, libraries, schools, hospitals, and concievably in areas of its removal in the wider community or through the demolition of buildings containing both silica dust and asbestos fibres.

The demolition of the old Liverpool Royal Hospital is a case in point as can be seen in the video to the right.

What is Asbestos?

The Asbestos Foum UK explains:

"The term asbestos refers to a group of minerals, the most common of which are chrysotile, crocidolite and amosite.

Asbestos is non-flammable, heat resistant, and extremely flexible and durable. It was nicknamed “the magic mineral” because these properties made it suitable for use in thousands of products.

Asbestos has also been dubbed “the hidden killer”. When materials containing asbestos are damaged or disturbed, fibres are released into the air. Each fibre is so small it is invisible to the naked eye. When you breathe in the fibres, they remain in your body, and can cause a number of different diseases."

What is Mesothelioma?

Mesothelioma is a terminal cancer caused by exposure to asbestos. Sufferers die, on average, within 12 months of onset of symptoms.

The Mesothelioma Handbook explains:

Mesothelioma is a cancer affecting the mesothelial membranes; these are thin filmy layers of lubricating tissue that enable internal organs to glide smoothly against each other as the body moves.

The pleural membrane (the pleura) tightly surrounds each lung and a second layer lines the inside of the chest wall; the pleura normally produce a small amount of lubricating pleural fluid that keeps the lungs mobile inside the chest during breathing.

In the abdomen the peritoneum is the membrane that surrounds the intestines and other abdominal organs; it also lines the abdominal cavity and produces a small amount of peritoneal fluid to keep the organs smoothly mobile. Similarly, the pericardium is the lubricating membrane that surrounds the heart.

Mesothelioma of the pleural membrane is the most common form; it occurs less often in the peritoneum
and occasionally affects the pericardium. Very rarely mesothelioma develops in the membrane surrounding the testicles.

Other Asbestos Related Disease

Apart from Mesothelioma, there are several other diseases caused by exposure to Asbestos fibres. Here they are listed by the Asbestos Forum UK:

Diffuse Pleural Thickening. The pleura is a membrane that surrounds your lungs and lines the inside of your rib cage. After breathing in asbestos fibres, these fibres can work their out to the pleura, causing scarring and hardening. The pleura then thickens, which can cause breathlessness. If x-ray evidence suggests your pleural thickening is severe enough, you may be able to get industrial injuries benefits. You may also be able to get civil compensation.

Pleural Plaques. These are localised areas of thickening caused by asbestos fibres which have worked their way out to the pleura. Pleural plaques are usually symptomless. Pleural plaques are a sign that you have been exposed to asbestos, but you cannot get benefits or compensation for having this disease if your only exposure to asbestos took place in England.

Lung Cancer. Exposure to asbestos increases the risk of developing lung cancer. However, there are many other causes of lung cancer. You can usually get industrial injuries benefits for lung cancer if you also have asbestosis. If you have lung cancer but no signs of asbestosis, whether you can get industrial injuries benefits will depend on the type of work you have done as an employee and how long you did it for.
You may also be able to sue an employer for civil compensation.

Asbestosis. This refers to scarring and hardening of the lung caused by asbestos fibres. It is sometimes called interstitial pulmonary fibrosis. Asbestosis causes breathlessness, and usually progresses slowly. If you have asbestosis, you can usually get industrial injuries benefits. You may also be able to get civil compensation.

The HSE has issued a press realse about this week and highlight their web pages providing information and safety procedures for the handling of Asbestos and of its removal. Additonally, you can find documentation in the Unionsafety E-Library an Asbestos legislation and the impact of exposure pn human health.

Source: Asbestos Forum UK / HSE / unionsafety

 

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