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Use or exposure to asbestos can cause health problems and sometimes these problems can take years to develop. It's not only the asbestos workers who suffer but also the people who come into close contact with workers e.g. Family or friends who may inhale the fibres from clothing by the asbestos worker.

It's no surprise that most manual workers were exposed to Asbestos without any protection or prior knowledge of the dangers. Asbestos fibres which become airborne and are inhaled can be carcinogenic.

Jobs that have affected men and women with Asbestos contamination:

• Plumbers
• Builders
• Labourers
• Shipyard workers
• Roofers
• Dockers
• Factory workers
• Construction workers
• Demolition experts

The symptoms of Asbestos related lung diseases typically develop over a period of years most of which begin with respiratory problems.

Common signs of an Asbestos related disease include:

• Shortness of breath
• Difficulty breathing and coughing
• Lung tissue scarring
• High blood pressure

Asbestos diseases caused by Asbestos exposure

Asbestos exposure can cause serious diseases, including mesothelioma and asbestos lung cancer. If you breathe asbestos fibres into your lungs, some of the fibres will be deposited in the air passages and on the cells that make up your lungs. Some fibres remain trapped in the lungs, causing severe respiratory damage. Fibres that clear the lungs are carried away in a layer of mucus to the throat, where they are swallowed into the stomach. They may become stuck in the membranes lining the stomach or intestines, or be distributed throughout the body via the blood. Wherever the fibres are, they have the potential to promote genetic “errors” in cell division that can lead to cancer.

The most common diseases caused by asbestos exposure are:

• Malignant Mesothelioma - a rare form of cancer that affects the thin membranes lining the abdomen and chest.
• Asbestos Lung Cancer - The two most common types of lung cancer are small - cell and non - small cell cancer.
• Asbestosis - a non-malignant disease that causes scarring of the lung tissue.
• Asbestos Pleural Disease - a non-malignant disease that causes scarring of the thin membranes lining the lung and chest.

Asbestos can also cause cancer of the digestive tract, colon, larynx, esophagus, kidney and some types of lymphoma. These asbestos diseases may be due to swallowing some of the longer asbestos fibres that are caught in the upper airways and that are carried to the throat in mucus.

Does your school contain asbestos?

If your school was built, refurbished or had maintenance work carried out before 2001, it could contain asbestos. Asbestos was imported into this country until 1999 and was used for a while after that until the stocks in the building yards were used up Any school that has been refurbished, rebuilt or has had maintenance work carried out before about 2001 could contain asbestos. If the school was built before 1985 it is probable that it contains asbestos in one form or another. Schools built after the war until the early 80s are likely to contain large amounts of asbestos. Even if your school is a Victorian building it will have been refurbished or extended at some time or another. If that happened after 1945 and before 1985 then asbestos is likely to have been used. It is possible that it has been until about 2001.

• Everybody attends school for at least ten years of their life.
• There were 79 deaths of qualified teachers in the ten year period between 1991-2000.
• Four times as many schools found to contain asbestos.
• In 2004 there were approximately 9,000,000 children in primary and secondary schools. A direct extrapolation between teachers’ deaths and children’s deaths gives a figure of 900 children who will die over a ten year period as a result of asbestos exposure they experienced at school.
• Surveys were carried out in primary and secondary schools, and by 1984 sufficient information was available from the surveys to reassess the extent of the problem. 34,800 schools contained friable asbestos potentially exposing an estimated 15,000,000 pupils and 1,400,000 staff.

No smooth sailing for Asbestos – exposed workers

The shipbuilding industry has used asbestos to insulate boilers, steam pipes, hot water pipes, and incinerators. Asbestos dust collects around these areas and in poorly ventilated compartments of a ship. During World War II, many workers employed in shipyards were heavily exposed to asbestos in ships and buildings. In later years, those who worked around asbestos - contaminated pipes, boilers, and other items in shipyards were also exposed to asbestos dust. Overhauling an old ship, which most likely contains asbestos, poses a very high health risk.

Longshoremen, or those who load ships, were also exposed to asbestos when handling items such as asbestos–containing insulation and fireproofing materials. Before the 1980s, they may even have loaded bundles of asbestos fibres. In most cases, they were not aware of the dangerous nature of these materials, and did not take any special precautions.

Insulators and other construction workers

All types of construction workers may come into contact with asbestos during maintenance, remodelling, or demolition of old buildings. A construction worker can also unwittingly place family members in danger by exposing them to asbestos dust that is carried home on the worker’s clothing or body.

Insulators

Insulators may cement, staple, wire, tape or spray asbestos insulation in buildings to reduce energy use. They also install materials in refrigerated storage rooms, vats, vessels, boilers, and steam and hot water pipes to prevent the transfer of heat. Another method employed by insulators is to use compressors to blow loose–fill insulation into house attics or exterior walls of uninsulated buildings. Insulators generally work indoors, and the job is often dusty and dirty. Small particles from insulation materials, especially when blown, can get into the insulator’s eyes, skin, and respiratory system. They were often heavily exposed to the asbestos in insulation materials.

Today, removing asbestos insulation in remodelling or demolition projects can be especially risky and appropriate precautions should be taken. Workers must follow prescribed asbestos removal techniques including sealing and depressurizing the area that contains asbestos and removing it using special filtration cleaners and devices. They should wear protective suits, masks, and respirators. Work areas should be well ventilated.

Sheet Metal Workers

Sheet metal workers install and maintain ducts used for ventilating, air conditioning, and heating systems. They also are involved with roofing, siding, gutters, and down spouts. In their work, they may have been exposed to asbestos insulation or asbestos - containing tiles used in roofing. In many Cities, for example, many sheet metal workers used Zonolite, an insulating material made from asbestos - contaminated vermiculite ore.

Plumbers and Pipefitters

Plumbers install and repair the water, waste disposal, drainage, and gas systems in homes and in commercial and industrial buildings. Pipefitters install and repair pipe systems that are used in manufacturing, in the generation of electricity, and in heating and cooling buildings.

Plumbers and pipefitters are often exposed to asbestos - cement pipes used for water and sewer lines, drainage, and ventilation. Asbestos insulation has been used around pipes, and asbestos mud was used to fill in cracks and elbows on pipes. Also, they may have removed deteriorated asbestos pipe covering; replacing it with new pipe covering.

Electricians

Electricians may have been exposed to asbestos–containing pipe, electrical insulation, or building insulation. They are also subject to exposure when doing maintenance or remodelling work in older buildings that are contaminated with asbestos.

Drywall Installers

Many dry wall products, such as joint compound, contained asbestos which could be inhaled while mixing the dry compounds and when sanding the walls. Asbestos also is contained in some dry wall tape, plaster, and wall - patching compounds. Blown ceilings are another source of asbestos contamination.

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