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Asbestos and homes/buildings
Asbestos was used in a wide range of building materials and products from the 1930s through to the 1980s, particularly from the 1960s onwards. During this time, asbestos was used extensively in the construction of houses, flats, industrial buildings and public buildings, such as schools and hospitals. A range of asbestos products were used to provide heat and sound insulation and to provide fire resistance. The most common uses of asbestos were: Insulating Board was commonly used for fire protection and heat and sound insulation. It was used in ducts, firebreaks, infill panels, wall partitions and ceilings (including ceiling tiles) roof underlays, wall lining, bath panels, external canopies and porch linings. Sprayed Asbestos Coatings were used for fire protection, structural steel condensation protection, and heat and sound insulation. They were widely used in service ducts, lift shafts and various other parts of buildings. Asbestos Lagging was used for thermal insulation of pipes, boilers, pressure vessels, etc. It was commonly used in industrial buildings and public buildings, such as schools and hospitals, during the 1960s and 1970s. Hot water and steam pipes in older houses were also lagged with asbestos paste or covered with an asbestos blanket or tape. Asbestos lagging came in the form of a hand-applied type of mixture as well as pre-formed pipe sections, slabs, tape, rope, corrugated paper, quilts, felts and blankets. Asbestos Cement Products came in the form of flat and corrugated sheets as well as pre-formed moulded products. Corrugated sheets were used in many types of building for roofing and wall cladding. Flat asbestos sheets were used for lining walls and ceilings. Other asbestos cement products include gutters, soffits, bath panels, fire surrounds, flue pipes, rainwater pipes, cisterns and water tanks. Other building materials and products – Asbestos was widely used in a range of other building materials and products. It was used in decorative coatings on walls and ceilings, such as textured paints and plasters. Other asbestos products include plastic floor tiles, ropes and yarns, roofing felts, blankets, cloth, millboard, paper, etc. Electrical Appliances including hair dryers, fan and radiant electric heaters, irons, toasters, washing machines, tumble dryers, spin dryers, dish washers, refrigerators, freezers and cookers often contained asbestos. These are just some examples of where asbestos was used in buildings. Various other asbestos products and materials were also used. Working with asbestos products can release small fibres into the air, which if inhaled into the lungs can eventually cause serious lung diseases, including diffuse pleural thickening, asbestosis, lung cancer and mesothelioma (ie. asbestos related cancer). The symptoms of these diseases often do not appear until 20-30 years or more after exposure to asbestos. People exposed to very small amounts of asbestos generally do not develop these health problems. However, when disturbed, asbestos materials may release fibres and dust into the air, which can be inhaled into the lungs. Fibre release is therefore most likely when asbestos materials are sawed, scraped, drilled into, sanded, etc. Many sufferers of asbestos related diseases worked in the building trades. People involved in the construction or demolition of buildings, building maintenance, repair or refurbishment work, etc were commonly exposed to asbestos. The following trades were commonly exposed to asbestos in this way:
We have represented many clients who have developed asbestos related diseases because they were exposed to asbestos dust either from working directly with asbestos products themselves or through working close to others who were using asbestos materials. Quite often these individuals had very heavy and prolonged exposure to asbestos. Other workers, not associated with the building trade, may also have been exposed to asbestos through working in areas close to where building maintenance, construction or refurbishment work was carried out. We have dealt with successful claims involving people who were indirectly exposed to asbestos dust simply through working in the vicinity of this work. contact us to find out if you can make a claim for mesothelioma or other asbestos related conditions.
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