Hamers Solicitors - Mesothelioma and Asbestos Compensation Specialists

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UK Mesothelioma and Asbestos Compensation Specialists

Who is at risk from Asbestos Related Diseases?

The simple answer to this is anyone who has been exposed to the dust. These days most people affected by asbestos related diseases worked in the building trade. They have breathed in asbestos dust during their day to day work with asbestos materials or because work with asbestos was carried out near them.

Trades at risk include:

Power station workers

Workers involved in the building, operation or maintenance of power stations were exposed to asbestos dust. Power stations in particular involved miles of steam piping which was insulated with asbestos products as well as boilers many storeys high which together with feed water, heaters, pumps, conveyors, condensers, turbine generators and auxiliary equipment were also assembled with and insulated with asbestos products.

Everyone working in power stations risk significant asbestos exposure because of building works, ongoing repairs, maintenance and overhaul.

Dockers

Asbestos was imported into many UK ports including Hull during the 1950's and 1960's. Unloading asbestos was very dirty and dusty work. So much so that under the Hull Docks Piecework Arrangements an extra rate was paid.

Construction and building workers

People in these trades encountered hazardous asbestos products in doing their work as well as asbestos products being used by other trades working nearby during the construction, renovation and repair of various industrial, commercial, military, educational, governmental and other job sites.

Mechanical systems including piping, duct work and equipment were assembled with, sealed with and/or insulated with asbestos products. Structural steel and decking were fire proofed and sound proofed with asbestos sprays. Components of walls, roofing, electrical wiring and flooring contained asbestos through until the 1970's and in some cases even later.

Even those involved in house building could have been exposed, as asbestos sheeting was used for roofing and cladding and for soffits and rainwater pipes.

Shipyard workers

People who worked in shipyards in the post war years were at risk of asbestos exposure. The construction repair and maintenance of ships caused friable asbestos products to be present in the confined working spaces and in engine and boiler rooms of ships resulting in asbestos exposure to all trades working in these areas.

Plant workers

These industries often utilised high temperature/ high pressure processes and required lots of steam and process pipelines which in and prior to the 1970's meant piping vessels, tanks reactors, heat exchangers, boilers, roasters, ovens, dryers, furnaces, pumps and other equipment insulated assembled and/or sealed with asbestos products.

Those involved in maintenance repair, construction and turn round of the production units risked exposure to asbestos products as well as workers in the vicinity of these operations.

Workers in metal refining operations, foundries and steel mills

In addition to the insulation pipe lines, boilers and similar equipment common to heavy industry workers in metal refineries, foundries and steel mills may have been exposed to the high temperature, refractory linings of furnaces, smelters, launders, ladles and similar equipment some of which were composed of asbestos products which were frequently in need of replacement and repair.

In addition asbestos gloves, leggings and aprons were worn by workers near molten metals. Asbestos cloth and blankets were used to moderate the cooling of metal castings.

Residential and commercial plumbing and heating contractors, and oil burner services

Plumbers, electricians and support workers who worked in plumbing and heating or worked in oil burner installation and service may have had considerable asbestos exposure even if the work was mostly residential.

Residential boilers, furnaces and hot water heaters installed up to the 1970's were often assembled, sealed and/or insulated with asbestos products as was the associated pipework.