Jul 20 2012: Keep the spotlight on asbestos related illnesses says expert
LEADING Sheffield lawyer Jeremy Brooke is warning that there is a danger the recent spotlight on the terrible effects caused by exposure to asbestos could go out.
Jeremy wants awareness to be maintained and asbestos-exposed workers to take action as official statistics say deaths linked to asbestos related illnesses are likely to peak in 2016.
Over the past few decades a steady rise in mortality rates and asbestos-related illnesses has started to highlight the significant impact asbestos exposure has upon the human body.
The Health and Safety Executive’s 2016 predicted peak in deaths related to Mesothelioma - a cancer of the mesothelium, a protective layer that covers many of the internal organs of the body - is not due to increased recent exposure to asbestos but is the result of the UK still riding out the dark shadow cast by wide-ranging asbestos use from the 1930s to the 1980s.
“People most at risk are those who have been frequently and consistently exposed to asbestos, but because Mesothelioma can stay hidden for decades, sufferers might not be aware that they have the disease as their exposure to asbestos could have been as far back as the 1930s and they won’t have been exposed recently,” says Jeremy, a personal injury expert with fast-growing innovative Sheffield solicitors Simpson Sissons & Brooke.
“Asbestos was used frequently from the 1930s to the1980s in industries such as steelworks, construction, plumbing and heating and shipyards and even in domestic environments including ceiling insulation and lawn furniture.
“Although health problems were linked to asbestos as far back as the early 1900s, few medical practitioners were able to predict how lethal the material actually was, and often health problems were ignored since asbestos was an economical and useful tool.
“This means that population exposure to asbestos was high, steadily increasing from the 1930s to the 1960s and reaching an all-time peak in 1963.”
Statistics indicate that men are at much higher risk of developing the cancer because, during the 1930s-1960s, men were mainly employed in industrial environments where asbestos exposure was prolific.
“Putting Mesothelioma under the spotlight has revealed malpractices on the parts of some employers who, despite being aware of the dangers of asbestos and how it was affecting their employees, failed to address the issue properly,” says Jeremy.
“This means that sufferers are now entitled to claim asbestos compensation, either from a former employer or from the government.”
Because all incidences of exposure are from previous decades it can be difficult to track down employers or businesses and often their businesses have ceased trading.
The government, therefore, introduced a Mesothelioma compensation fund in 2008 which offers sufferers a one off lump sum payment. There is also another fund available for other asbestos diseases and industrial injuries disablement benefit is payable.
“The legacy of prolific use of asbestos is still around today,” says Jeremy.
“Converted factories, industrial plants and sometimes even domestic homes can contain remnants of asbestos which can be easily discovered through professional asbestos testing and dealt with appropriately.
“Because of the severity of Mesothelioma it is important to make sure your environment is asbestos free, so if you suspect that asbestos may be present in your workplace or home it’s essential to take a proper course of action to investigate this possibility.”
To find out more about compensation and welfare benefits issues related to asbestos and Mesothelioma call Jeremy Brooke on 0114 241 3970.
www.simpsonsissonsandbrooke.co.uk
