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Asbestos

Within the industrial disease team at Bond Pearce there are many specialists in asbestos related diseases. We have dealt with many thousands of cases involving asbestos exposure. As a result the asbestos lawyers experience and expertise includes acting for people from a wide range of jobs, industries and activities that could give rise to exposure to asbestos at work resulting in asbestosis, mesothelioma and asbestos related lung cancer. They also regularly represent families at inquests where there is a suspicion that their loved one may have died as a result of an industrial disease and they want to find out what happened.

If you have have suffered a similar industrial accidentcontact one of our industrial disease lawyers for specialist legal advice. You can either fill out our online enquiry form, request a call back or call us direct on 0800 915 4650

What is asbestos?
Asbestos is a naturally occurring silicate that was used as an insulation material from the 1920's and as a building material during the 1950's, 60s, 70s and 80s because of its chemical and heat resistant properties. Its use since the mid 90s has decreased dramatically as the dangers associated with asbestos became known and its use was restricted.

There are three main types of asbestos:

  1. CROCIDOLITE often referred to as blue asbestos used most commonly for insulation laggings and sprayed coatings
  2. AMOSITE often referred to as brown asbestos used most commonly in thermal insulation, sprayed applications, and insulation boards
  3. CHRYSOTILE often referred to as white asbestos used most commonly in domestic appliances and buildings

All of the above types of asbestos can be dangerous, but blue and brown asbestos are known to be more dangerous than white asbestos. The different types of asbestos cannot usually be identified by their colour alone. Where asbestos is affected by heat or chemicals, or combined with other substances, the colour and appearance can change.

The three main types of asbestos fall into two very distinct categories of asbestos minerals:

  • amphiboles - these are compounds of metal silicates, mined from sedimentary rocks, consisting of short sharp fibres. Examples of these include crocidolite (blue asbestos) and amosite (brown asbestos). They are dusty minerals and once inhaled the fibres are capable of existing in the human body for a great length of time.
  • serpentine -these are compounds of metal silicates, mined from igneous rocks consisting of softer, more flexible fibres. There is only one commercially used serpentine, chrysotile (white asbestos). Once inhaled, their flexibility allows the fibres to be readily broken down by the body.

When the 3 major types of commercially used asbestos fibres are incorporated into products, they are done so to produce either low density or high density asbestos containing materials:

  • Low Density asbestos products: Asbestos fibres are left loose or mixed within a plaster mix. They are sprayed into cavities and onto surfaces requiring insulation.
  • High Density asbestos products: Asbestos fibres are sealed by mixing and trapping them into cement products (asbestos cement products). Such forms have very high resistance to wear and only release fibres under duress.

Exposure to asbestos and inhalation of asbestos fibres can lead to a number of diseases including

These diseases can take from 15 to 60 years to develop from first exposure - so you would not be aware of any sudden change in health after breathing in asbestos.