Support for those hurt by asbestos
ASBESTOS is killing more peoplel th than ever, but many sufferers are unaware of the financial help available to those facing illness after exposure to the toxic dust.
The deadly material has been banned in the UK since the Eighties, but it takes between ten and 50 years to develop a lung disease after exposure to asbestos dust and fibres.
So many people diagnosed with an asbestos-related lung disease think it is too late to seek legal and financial assistance.
They often believe that if the company they worked for or the place where they were exposed to asbestos dust has gone, there is no justice available to them.
However, there are government benefits, compensation schemes and insurance companies to assist if a company cannot be found.
The money they re entitled to could pay for their care, home help, mobility aids and specialist treatments to improve quality of life.
According to the Health and Safety Executive, asbestos causes more than 5,000 deaths a year, nearly three times the number of people killed on Britain s roads annually.
Every week about 20 tradespeople die from an asbestos-related disease, and this is set to increase until 2020.
Today, thousands of hardworking tradespeople are experiencing such symptoms as shortness of breath doing routine tasks, chest pains or persistent coughing.
Some put it down to old age or smoking, but it could be an asbestos-related lung disease such as pleural thickening, asbestosis, lung cancer or mesothelioma, and sufferers are entitled to financial support.
Tradesmen such as laggers, pipe fitters, electricians, dock workers, engineers, joiners, plumbers, welders, builders, fitters and heating engineers, or people who have worked alongside them, are generally thought to be at risk of high asbestos exposure, but this list is not exhaustive.
People who have worked in power stations, shipyards, railways and factories may also have been exposed to enough asbestos dust to develop a related lung disease.
There are also cases where family members have been exposed to asbestos dust after being in contact with work clothes.
More than 3,000 people call an asbestos helpline each year, to speak to experts in asbestos-related civil claims.
Anyone diagnosed or being investigated for an asbestosrelated disease is advised to contact the helpline, too.