My health update: Asbestos

[flyboys90]

Good to hear of your success with your case,my father died from Mesothelioma caused by lagging pipes in the shipyards when it came to compensation all the companies had gone! so my mother ended up with 25p a week big deal!

 

[lower]

I cannot stress the importance of those two little words 'one breath'. This is not like exposing ones self to say coal or silica dust, where on repeated exposure the pleura gradually become filled with dust particles and one becomes increasingly breathless and incapacitated. One breath of asbestos laden air is all it may take to set the time bomb ticking.

Please educate me a little more on this. I was of the understanding that the air we breathe on a daily basis contained naturally occurring asbestos fibres. We don't get ill from that. Is it the type of asbestos that naturally occurs or something different?

 

[ricasso]

Please educate me a little more on this. I was of the understanding that the air we breathe on a daily basis contained naturally occurring asbestos fibres. We don't get ill from that. Is it the type of asbestos that naturally occurs or something different?

http://www.derelictplaces.co.uk/index.php?do=asbestos

 

[explorer101]

Well done Grandad! dont let this damn thing stop you having fun! its made me become a teenager again, went out and bought a Chevy Corvette, my dream car, and we're planning our third holiday in six months, of to Cyprus this time..

have fun in Cyprus

 

[Dirus_Strictus]

Please educate me a little more on this. I was of the understanding that the air we breathe on a daily basis contained naturally occurring asbestos fibres. We don't get ill from that. Is it the type of asbestos that naturally occurs or something different?

There is nothing natural about asbestos fibres in the air. The various types of asbestos occur in the natural state as minerals that have to be mined, they certainly do not occur naturally in the air we breath - Ricasso's link to the forum information on the subject should be followed. Historically the first indication that these minerals may cause serious health problems was when European mine operators noticed that their long term native miners began to suffer serious chest problems - but then as all Victorian miners and quarry men suffered from coughs and breathlessness, nobody gave the matter any real thought. If there were asbestos fibres in the air circulating down the local high street, then one would have a potentially very serious health risk to the public .Now I am not saying this could not happen - illegal demolition of an asbestos contaminated building, a severe fire destroying asbestos cement boarding or breaking down pipe lagging etc, all this has and will continue to happen as long as the bloody stuff is still there to be exposed. No matter if you take the 'one breath' statement as being a bit over the top, just remember that once a mineral fibre, so small that one needs a microscope to see it, penetrates the lining of your lung a sequence of events could be set in motion that will lead to your death 20/30 years in the future. The fact that each breath you take in a moderately contaminated area probably contains over 30 fibres, because of the dust disturbance you cause, increases the chance that fibres will penetrate even more.

Ricasso's unfortunate story is a clear illustration of the very nasty nature of these now banned asbestos types. His only good fortune was to be working for BR when he came into contact with the fibres. The early compensation schemes for prescribed industrial diseases do not really compensate the sufferer for 'catching' the disease, the compensation is for loss of earnings or earning ability. For the widow of a worker who died near retirement age or in retirement, the amount could be contemptible. (Flyboys 90's experiences). Or as Whitelaw asks, some could die without knowing if their dear ones would get any compensation at all. My experiences have taught me that people like Ricasso want some money quickly up front, so that they can enjoy the company of their family and friends, without the financial worries of being on SSP, whilst they are still able to be active. Fortunately the old BR acted as their own insurers, the UK Treasury being the ultimate holder of the crock of gold; no insurance company share holders to think about here or the profits of some dubious compensation / claims firm and their lawyers to consider. Just prove your case to the organisation who looks after all the old remaining BRB business. In Ricasso's case the facts were obviously self evident and with the financial burden off his shoulders, I hope he can put all his energies into continuing the fight the illness and living every moment.