Those who work in UK law, local government or the construction industry have heard of the word “Asbestos” for many years. But up until as recently as twenty years ago, most of the population of the UK did not know about the dangers and the diseases caused by asbestos. This danger from asbestos is highlighted by the fact that almost every government from around the world has regulations and laws in place against the use of asbestos in building materials.Asbestos is a Greek word which means “inextinguishable”. Asbestos is also known as “magical mineral” due to the fact that it has such a natural composition that it is considered ideal for usage in anything from tiles to rooftops to road signs. It has even be used in making the socks we wear. Up until 1980 army, navy, railway, construction, in short every possible industry used asbestos. But once its harmful effects were discovered in 1980 the usage of asbestos based materials and products was banned worldwide.

Recent statistics show that almost every building built before 1980 is most likely to be made of asbestos related products. According to the TUC, all public buildings and schools built between 1960 and 1980 most probably have asbestos in walls, boilers, and even hot pipes. Properties built since the mid-1980’s are unlikely to contain asbestos in the fabric of the building and properties built since 1990 are extremely unlikely to contain asbestos anywhere in the building.

Asbestos has previously been used in UK buildings for fireproofing, insulation, reinforcement and condensation protection. The Advisory Committee on Asbestos has released a report which states that the UK is most affected by the use of white asbestos by the name of Chrysotile. The Chrysotile imported by the UK in 1976 was utilized 40% by cement building products, 22% by reinforced and filler cements and 12% by floors and tiles.

Asbestos based items and products are no longer approved by the UK government or any other government in the world since research has highlighted its harmful effects on human health. These products are known to emit asbestos fibres which are the cause of many diseases such as asbestosis, mesothelioma, lung cancer and other diseases. These fibres are so small that they are invisible to the human eye, with some fibres being up to seven hundred times smaller than a human hair. When these asbestos fibres are released from the building material or product and become airborne into the air we breathe, they often stay suspended there for hours or even days.

When asbestos fibres are originally inhaled, they may become trapped in the lungs. Over time, the body tries to dissolve theses fibres. Unfortunately due to the nature of asbestos, the body does little to damage the fibre, but instead damages the surrounding tissue. Eventually, this damage may become so severe that the lungs cannot function.

Although the use of asbestos has been banned for many years now, asbestos related deaths still occur for up to 40 years after exposure. The symptoms of asbestos related diseases, unfortunately, do not become apparent until it is too late.

Once asbestos was found to be heat and fire resistant, it has been widely used. Unfortunately, as we later found, it can cause a myriad of health problems, including cancer.Asbestos has been in widespread use since the late 1800’s. It is heat and fire resistant, and very versatile, making it very attractive to manufacturers regardless of the long-term health risks. Limitations were placed on the manufacture of new products containing asbestos in the 1980’s but it can still be found in older homes and buildings, older products, and some new products. Symptoms of asbestos related illness often do not show up for 10 to 50 years after exposure, and once they do, illness can progress rapidly.

Asbestos related illnesses
Asbestos causes illness hen the fibers get into your body, usually by inhalation, but they can also be ingested. Health problems caused by asbestos include:
· Asbestosis (scarring of the lungs)
· Heart failure
· Kidney cancer
· Larynx cancer
· Lung cancer
· Mesothelioma
· Other cancers

Mesothelioma is cancer caused by asbestos exposure. It affects the lining around your organs. Pleural mesothelioma affects the membrane lining the lungs and is the most common form of mesothelioma. It is not the same as lung cancer. Mesothelioma is fatal, there is no cure, and it is excruciatingly painful.

Symptoms of asbestos related illness
After asbestos exposure, symptoms can take 10 to 50 years to appear. According to the National Cancer Institute, symptoms of asbestos related illnesses include:
· Shortness of breath
· A cough or a change in cough pattern
· Blood in the fluid coughed up from the lungs
· Pain in the chest or abdomen
· Difficulty in swallowing
· Prolonged hoarseness
· Significant weight loss

Who is at risk?
Anyone can be exposed to asbestos. It is in the materials our homes and schools were built with. It is in many common household items. Due to its heat and fire resistance, it is use more heavily in certain industries. Jobs, industries, and work environments which carry an elevated risk of asbestos exposure include:
· Appliance manufacturing
· Asbestos removal
· Construction
· Demolition
· Mining
· Oil refineries
· Shipyards
· Steel mills
· Power plants
· Railroads
· Automotive manufacturing and repair

Thousands of products contain asbestos, possibly over 5,000. Many are common household items including:
· Oven mitts
· Ironing board covers
· Toasters
· Hair dryers
· Chalkboards
· Potting soil
· Rope
· Yarn
· Fake snow

Remodeling you home Remodeling your home can release asbestos fibers that were sealed and contained. This is most likely to happen in older homes. When asbestosis is sealed, it does not cause harm. When you tear into construction materials containing asbestos it can let loose a shower of fibers instantly exposing you and your family. If you suspect that your home may contain asbestos, talk to an asbestos abatement professional before remodeling your home and do not try to remove the asbestos yourself.

What is Asbestos?
Asbestos is a term for several commonly found fibrous magnesium-silicate minerals. Due to their durable and versatile nature, asbestos materials were used widely in construction and manufacturing for most of the 20th century. Today, it is widely understood that asbestos is an extremely harmful substance. However, this was not always known. Even minimal inhalation of these asbestos fibers can develop into serious, and even fatal, conditions. In 1918, The United States Department of Labor issued a bulletin stating that there was an “urgent need for more qualified extensive investigation” into the severe harm caused by asbestos. Nevertheless, many industries kept using asbestos.For decades, construction workers, vehicle mechanics, shipyard workers, electricians, and others employed in the building trades did not realize the danger, as they were exposed to asbestos on a daily basis. Even now, workers renovating or demolishing old buildings may encounter asbestos. The danger was not limited those who directly handled the asbestos. If a worker had substantial exposure to asbestos, his or her co-worker or spouse also was vulnerable to asbestos-related illness.

Eventually scientific research confirmed the life-threatening risks caused by exposure to airborne asbestos fibers. However, companies still ignored the danger, and continued to make and use products containing asbestos, until it was banned during the latter part of the 20th century. Asbestos was used widely in heavy industry, as well as insulation in hair dryers, electrical wiring, cement, paper, roofing materials, floorboards, and hundreds of other common items. Despite the legal ban on new uses, over one million Americans are endangered by exposure to existing asbestos sources every year.

Asbestos Removal
Asbestos still exists in many older buildings, including schools, hospitals, airports, and factories across Michigan. From skyscrapers to residential buildings, asbestos continues to threaten the health of unsuspecting citizens.

Removal of asbestos is a complex process. Special precautions are necessary, to avoid release of asbestos fibers into the surrounding environment. Otherwise, the asbestos will endanger anyone in the area, who inhales or ingests its odorless and tasteless microscopic fibers. The danger is great, because any amount of asbestos can be harmful. For these reasons, there is a conflict between those who push for removal of asbestos from existing structures, and those who oppose it, if it is unlikely to enter building ventilation systems.

Some companies and government agencies arrange for asbestos removal to prevent public exposure, while others do so to avoid potential litigation. Still other projects are driven by legislation or public outcry for asbestos removal from public buildings, including many older schools across the country.

Mesothelioma and Other Asbestos Diseases
Three serious health conditions may result from exposure to even a small amount of airborne asbestos fibers. All three conditions result from inhaling the fibers, which become embedded in the lungs or other parts of the body. It can take years for symptoms of any of these asbestos illness to appear. Some experts believe that no symptoms appear for more than a decade after exposure. In some cases, it takes even longer for the illness to become evident. The following is information about the three major conditions resulting from asbestos exposure.

Mesothelioma
The medical profession used to consider this type of cancer as quite rare. While still uncommon, the number of workers diagnosed with mesothelioma has risen. Now, about 3,000 new mesothelioma cases are reported in the United States every year. The incidence of this disease is increasing at an even higher rate in Europe. Mesothelioma is a form of cancer, usually caused by asbestos fibers that actually penetrate lung tissue. It is also possible for mesothelioma to develop after these fibers penetrate the heart or the abdomen. While doctors have found many different causes for other forms of cancer, the only definitely identified cause of mesothelioma is exposure to asbestos.

Asbestosis
Sometimes, this term is used incorrectly to refer to all ailments resulting from asbestos exposure. However, it is actually a very specific condition. Asbestosis (also known as interstitial fibrosis) develops when inhaled asbestos fibers cause scarring of the lung tissue. Over time, this scarring reduces the capacity of the lung. Individuals with asbestosis may suffer disabling lung impairments, and must be monitored closely because they are at increased risk of even more serious asbestos-related conditions.

Lung Cancer
Lung cancer is all too common in our society and has many possible causes. However, there is evidence of a link between asbestos exposure and lung cancer. The risk of lung cancer is even higher for an individual who has been exposed to asbestos, and also smokes cigarettes. Mesothelioma Treatment Options “Staging” is a term that medical professionals use to define the spread and extent of cancers like mesothelioma. In general, the least serious “first stage” only involves the lining of the lung. By the most serious “stage four,” cancer has spread to other organs of the body.

Medical researchers continue to improve treatment for mesothelioma. The most common form of treatment is still chemotherapy. With new combinations of drugs, such as pemetrexed and carboplatin, chemotherapy may slow the progression of cancer in some victims. Radiation or surgery is the an appropriate treatment for other mesothelioma patients. In addition, some experimental treatments are yielding promising test results and offer hope for future victims.

Mesothelioma is still regarded as a deadly form of cancer. The average life span after diagnosis is only one to two years. However, the stage of the disease when it is discovered, and an individual’s response to treatment are significant factors in determining life expectancy. Due to medical progress, 20% of those diagnosed at an early stage of mesothelioma have at least 5 more years to live.

Mesothelioma Symptoms and Mesothelioma Diagnosis

Men are many times more likely to develop mesothelioma than women. This may be due to the higher percentage of men who work in factories and construction, where there is an increased risk of exposure to airborne asbestos fibers. Older men are more likely to be diagnosed with mesothelioma. This is not surprising, because of the relatively long period of time between asbestos exposure and the onset of this cancer.

Physicians may have difficulty diagnosing mesothelioma, because initial symptoms, such as shortness of breath and chest or abdominal pain, can be confused with other conditions. There are tests to rule out mesothelioma, including a thoracoscopy or a peritoneoscopy. If you have symptoms and believe that you may have past asbestos exposure, see your doctor immediately. If you or a loved one suffer from asbestos related cancer or mesothelioma cancer, talk with an experienced asbestos lawyer today.

The Law Offices of Samuel I. Bernstein, our Michigan personal injury and medical malpractice law firm, has championed the cause of seriously injured Michigan victims for three generations.

Asbestos Lung Mesothelioma The main cause of asbestos lung mesothelioma, as its name implies, is the mineral fiber, called fire curtain. Before the 1970s, asbestos curtain was widely used as an additive in various products, including insulation materials, rug sheeting, and the like.Do you like to learn about new and interesting things? If so, then this article will be right up your alley!

It was not awaiting just (across various existence ago) that it was found out the carnal, when inhaled, swallowed or induced in the body, can cause numerous unpleasant things, inclusive of development of deadly diseases.

Asbestos lung mesothelioma is one such disorder. It is a form of menace that generally impresss the mesothelium, which is the protective wrapper of most of our bodies exclusive

organs, good the lungs and longing.

From now until the now until the end of this article, take the time to think about how all of this information can help you.

When asbestos fibers dive in the lungs terminated the ball gun that we breathe, they can voyage whole the way to the pleura where they cause corporeal dent to the mesothelial cells. Overtime and if left nude, the contamination may answer in menace.

The trouble with good wrap is that they are not simple to reveal. It would take existence from the first exposure to asbestos fibers before the persona unnatural will establish to mature an asbestos curtain-alike disease such as fire curtain lung mesothelioma.

In statement, according to health scientists, it could take as many as thirty to forty existence before the first heralds of good wrap lung mesothelioma thump in after primary exposure.

Asbestos coal miner’s lung mesothelioma is one of the astral bases in differing official entreatys made as a answer of exposure to the kittens while at the bureau.

Diverse regulations and status order have obsolescent accepted to oblige duties ahead employers and statementory owners to shield their hands and other individuals who may be unnatural from baring to the deadly fiber.

while fire curtain lung mesothelioma and other such diseases are above all regarded as industrial hazards, more latest legislation has come to comprise residential premises (such as neighborhoods located near a manustatementured that uses good wrap in its materials) as part of the duties of the function pocket in preventing exposure.

It does not inevitably that ethical because you do not work for an activity that involves the use of asbestos you may not be at stake of asbestos lung mesothelioma. It is promising to achieve exposed to asbestos kittens and age plague by inhaling fibers from the work clothes of an asbestos hand.

Because the symptoms of fire curtain lung mesothelioma are regularly very immense to reveal, it is important that you be secondary observant, generally if you are an good wrap companion or have a family component who facility in such activity.

Most people who are diagnosed with the corruption have had the symptoms for two to three months. However, because they unnoticed the symptoms, no previous preventive steps were full to rest the adequate foray of the disease.

This article is meant to both inform and entertain those who read it. Hopefully, we have (will) accomplished both goals for you.

Asbestos cancer is a serious and rare disease that results from exposure to the fibrous mineral called asbestos. It occurs more frequently among men, especially those between the ages of 50 and 70; however, asbestos cancer is not unknown among women. In the US alone, about 2000 to 3000 men and women are diagnosed with asbestos cancer each year.The most prevalent form of asbestos cancer is mesothelioma, or cancer of the mesothelium layer that covers most of the body’s internal organs. For someone with asbestos cancer, the cells of the mesothelium grow out of control and become cancerous, affecting the proper functioning of these organs.

The symptoms of asbestos cancer are varied. Depending on the type of asbestos cancer, symptoms range from difficulty breathing to trouble swallowing, chronic cough, weight loss, fluid in the chest, and pain in the chest and abdomen. When the cancer metastasizes, the disease could start affecting surrounding organs that are otherwise healthy.

It should be noted that asbestos cancer is, as of this time, an incurable disease. It is, however, treatable and for those who are suffering from this debilitating disease, there are many options available.

As with any other types of cancer, asbestos cancer treatment applies the traditional cancer therapies. Often, these treatments are used in combination in order to reduce the damage caused by asbestos cancer to your body as well as prolong your life.

Three of the more common treatment options used in asbestos cancer are chemotherapy, radiation treatment, and surgery. As mentioned, these treatments may be used in combination or singularly applied to an individual.

How the cancer is treated depends on several factors, such as an individual’s positive response to therapy. Because each individual has a different reaction to each type of treatment approach, the most important step in treating asbestos cancer is to conduct a complete and thorough evaluation of the patient.

One trouble that doctors are having when it comes to asbestos cancer is the fact that the disease could remain latent for a great number of years. In fact, it could take 20 to 50 years from first exposure to asbestos before the first signs of asbestos cancer can be observed. This is why it is important for you to get regular check ups if some time in the past you have been exposed to asbestos.

To determine whether you have asbestos cancer and begin the treatment process, a team of medical doctors will have to examine you. The team will likely be led by an oncologist who is a cancer specialist. You will also probably see a radiologist and a pulmonary therapist. To help you cope with the emotional stress that comes with being diagnosed with any deadly disease, you may ask for a social worker to join your team.

Mesothelioma is a type of cancer that affects the mesothelium, that thin layer of membrane that protects most of our body’s internal organs. Since its first appearance, mesothelioma has been associated with exposure to the fibrous mineral used in construction, called asbestos. As a matter of fact, most cases of mesothelomia are almost always connected with previous exposure to the mineral.In asbestos mesothelioma, the cancerous cells mostly affect the mesothelial layer of the lungs and chest cavity (called pleura). However, there are certain cases where the cancer could also occur in the peritoneum, or the lining of the abdominal cavity, as well as the pericardium, the membranous sac that surrounds the heart.

Abdominal asbestos mesothelioma is mesothelioma of the peritoneum. People who develop abdominal asbestos mesothelioma may have worked in an area where asbestos is present. Exposure to asbestos could come in many forms. A worker may inhale asbestos fibers during the course of regular duties. A person who is not a worker may be exposed to the mineral by other means, such as washing the clothes of an asbestos worker.

According to one survey, one out of seven people who came into contact with asbestos may develop any of the different types of asbestos-related cancer, including abdominal asbestos mesothelioma.

Signs and Symptoms

One of the main problems that doctors are having with abdominal asbestos mesothelioma is the fact that its symptoms are hard to identify. In fact, the first signs of abdominal asbestos mesothelioma may not be noticeable until 20 to 50 years after asbestos exposure. Moreover, the symptoms can vary, depending on several factors, such as the specific type of mesothelioma a patient has and his length of exposure to asbestos.

For abdominal asbestos mesothelioma, the symptoms include cachexia, a condition characterized by drastic loss of weight, fatigue, muscle atrophy and anorexia (loss of appetite, as opposed to anorexia nervosa). There may also be abdominal swelling as a result of the buildup of fluids in the abdominal cavity. If the abdominal asbestos mesothelioma is in its advanced stages, pain due to the buildup may also occur.

Other symptoms of abdominal asbestos mesothelioma are anemia, fever, blood clotting abnormalities, and bowel obstruction. Additionally, if the cancer has spread to other organs, the person may suffer swelling of the neck or face or have trouble swallowing.

Treatment

Abdominal asbestos mesothelioma is not incurable. However, most of the treatment methods available at present have only been moderately successful. Doctors often use a combination of radiation, chemotherapy, surgery, and immunotherapy in order to achieve the best results. Other types of treatment for abdominal asbestos mesothelioma are more for symptom relief than for an actual cure. A procedure known as heated intraoperative intraperitoneal chemotherapy is said to help prevent the development of the cancer by removing as much of the tumor from the patient.

If only the Romans in the Middle Ages were aware of the fact that the fibrous mineral they applied in lining their armors for war was hazardous to the health, they could have surely sought for methods of asbestos abatement. However, at that period, they were just deeply fascinated that the believed-to-be-dangerous earthen block had a fire- resistant facet making it very ideal when they engaged in the battle array.As compared to the past, asbestos abatement was badly needed because the regulations set by the authorities in the government concerning the use of the fibrous mineral were not yet modified. However, at this juncture, due to the stringent standards given to industries such as shipping, automation, refinery, construction and mining, among the others, the imposing threats are lesser albeit, it should not be the reason to be negligent.

In Oklahama State University (OSU), the Environmental Health and Safety Department is responsible for looking into asbestos abatement around the school premises. The office definitely has a big task ahead of them especially that OSU involves several buildings located in a huge property. Not to mention, the crew only consists of ten members. Since the group is assigned to a very lofty assignment, the state’s Department of Labor has been extending assistance.

The asbestos abatement done by the Oklahama State University’s (OSU) Environmental Health and Safety Department is updated in an annual basis to really ensure that there would be no case of mesothelioma, a type of cancer brought about by exposure to filaments of the organic rock. Aside from focusing into the removal of any material that contains the fibrous mineral, there are also training courses and staff certifications given.

Since deadly concentrations cannot be viewed by the naked eye, the first thing that the team does is acquire samples from suspected items. Afterwhich, they head straight to the laboratory and perform analysis under the magnifying lens of a microscope. All the experiments are regarded positive unless not proven. However, all of the methods are exclusively for the Oklahoma State University (OSA). The institution just shows that they are serious in their quest to get rid of believed-to-be-dangerous earthen block.

You may ask, how about for residential districts? Here is the deal, the building material generated out of the fibrous mineral will only be eliminated when overhaul has to be executed. Never attempt to saw or drill because you are only allowing the strands from the organic rock to be trapped in the air and eventually be inhaled.

Asbestos occurs naturally in some geological settings. It’s a group of six minerals which have a variety of crystal shapes. The name asbestos comes from a Greek word meaning inextinguishable, which is an appropriate name for it, since it is has heat and chemical resistance, fibrous strength, and flexibility.Brief History of Asbestos Use
The ancient Greeks and Romans used asbestos in clothing, and it was noted even back then that the slaves who wove those fabrics developed lung problems.

During the 19th century, it became popular with building companies because of its many useful properties. Asbestos fibers were combined with cement, woven into fabrics, and used in electrical insulation. It was used in brakes and gaskets.

The first commercial asbestos mine was started in 1879 near Quebec, in the Appalachian foothills there. Use of asbestos expanded until the mid-20th century, and by then it was used in bricks, pipes, fire retardants, ceiling insulation, drywall, flooring, roofing, lawn furniture, and even in some cigarette filters. During WW II, ships were built with asbestos in the pipe wrappings, boilers, and engine parts. Millions of homes were built with asbestos being part of them, and thousands of schools and other public buildings.

Parallel with this expansion of asbestos use was the gradual discovery that it seemed to cause breathing problems and a lot of early deaths. In 1924 in England, the first case of Asbestosis was diagnosed.

Asbestosis is chronic inflammation of the lungs. When a person has been exposed to asbestos for many years, as in an asbestos mine, shipbuilding yard during WW II, or construction site in the first part of the 20th century, asbestos fibers lodge in the lungs. As time passes, they penetrate more deeply into the lungs until they reach the tiny air sacs where oxygen is transferred from the air breathed in to the blood circulating in the lungs.

The presence of these tiny fibers triggers the lung’s protective mechanism. The body has special cells whose job is to ingest foreign bodies, but the asbestos fibers resist and prevail. The cells die off and eventually a fibrous mass builds up. It impedes the intake of oxygen from the air, and the elimination of carbon dioxide from the blood. As more such fibrous areas build up, lung capacity reduces.

There is no cure. People can use an oxygen tank to help with the shortness of breath. Built-up fluid in the lungs can be drained. Mesothelioma may also develop, which is cancer of the lungs’ lining. Breathing problems may become so severe that the brain is deprived of oxygen, and fails to send heartbeat messages. This leads to heart failure.

Asbestosis and mesothelioma are viewed as occupational diseases. If you believe you may have been exposed to asbestos at any time in your life, the first step would be to get a chest X-ray.

You might also want to consult an asbestosis attorney to learn more about your legal rights. Each state has a statute of limitations, a time limit within which you must file your asbestosis case. They do not start running from the time of your asbestos exposure, but from the time you first discovered that you had a health condition caused by asbestos. There have been many lawsuits over asbestosis and mesothelioma which have won compensation for the plaintiffs.

British trades people could be putting themselves at risk of incurable cancer from exposure to asbestos without even realising it, says a recent study published by the British Lung Foundation.Mesothelioma, the cancer caused by asbestos, kills one people every five hours in the UK; twenty trades people die of the disease every week, making the disease Britain’s worst workplace killer.

Cases are set to peak between 2011 and 2015 as the disease generally develops between 15 and 60 years after exposure - many of those who will develop the disease will have been exposed to asbestos before the dangers of mesothelioma were widely known.

Trades people such as builders, plumbers, carpenters, gas fitters and electricians are particularly at risk as they may experience exposure to asbestos without being aware of it.

The report carried out by the British Lung Foundation drew attention to the fact that many trades people are unaware of the potential risks. Less than a third of those asked were aware that asbestos exposure can cause cancer while nearly a third wrongly believed that most asbestos had been removed from UK buildings.

Perhaps most worryingly, nearly 75% of those asked have had no training in how to deal with asbestos.

The report was commissioned by the British Lung Foundation in time for Action Mesothelioma Day on February 27th, part of the campaign to raise public awareness and understanding of the disease and improve treatment of mesothelioma sufferers.

What is Mesothelioma?

Mesothelioma is a form of cancer which is nearly always caused by occupational exposure to asbestos. Mesothelioma is a specific disease caused by asbestos and is a thickening of the lining of the lungs (the pleura). It develops into a tumour in the pleura (the lining of the lungs) and can grow into the stomach.

What Are The Symptoms of Mesothelioma?

Symptoms usually include breathlessness, check and back pain, wheezing and coughing, loss of appetite and weight loss lungs. There is usually a build up of fluid (called a pleural effusion) and this may need to be removed with surgery called pleurodesis.

What Action Should I Take?

If you or someone you know has Mesothelioma, it is important that they seek the immediate assistance of a solicitor so that steps can be taken to quantify the claim or bring the claim to court as soon as possible so that money is made available during the lifetime of the injured party. It is also important to obtain as much information as possible as soon as possible.

Is There A Time Limit For A Mesothelioma Claim?

It is important to be aware that you have 3 years from the date when you are aware of your condition or that it was associated with exposure to asbestos in which to ensure that court proceedings are issued. If the person has unfortunately died, the estate have 3 years from the date of the death in which to ensure that court proceedings are issued.

If you have suffered an injury through your working practices, often over a long period of time, you need expert advice to decide whether you can claim compensation for you injuries and expenses.

For further information, please visit http://www.1stclaims.co.uk.

A leading south Wales law firm has launched a campaign in Wales to lobby the Government into passing legislation for the return of compensation for victims of the asbestos disease of pleural plaques.Fighting for the rights of thousands of Welsh sufferers who due to Wales’ industrial heritage may have contracted the illness, campaign organisers are attempting to get a Law Lords ruling overturned.

The launch of this campaign follows a decision in October 2007, bringing to an end a right that had existed for over 20 years, where the House of Lords ruled that compensation is no longer available to people with pleural plaques, a scarring of the lining lungs caused by exposure to asbestos, as it is not a ‘disease’ in its own right.

Although the scarring and damage to the body is regarded as “symptomless”, there is overwhelming evidence that those people who have been exposed to asbestos, of which pleural plaques are a sign, are at risk of developing mesothelioma.

More than 350 people in the Wales died from mesothelioma between 1981 and 2000, and the number diagnosed with the disease is expected to rise annually until 2015.

The campaign organisers state: “We’re launching this campaign on Action Mesothelioma Day to highlight the real injustice of this decision and the need to overturn it. Pleural plaques are not just a bit of scarring on the lungs, this is the calling card.

“Before this decision, not only could we successfully obtain damages on behalf of victims with pleural plaques, but we also had the reservation that if they contracted the horrible disease of mesothelioma, they could come back in the future to quickly gets their compensation.

“We have several clients who have pleural plaques and are living with the fear that it could develop at some point into fatal conditions like mesothelioma. They deserve compensation for the extreme worry and anxiety of living with pleural plaques, and the right to return to seek further compensation if they develop a more serious form of asbestos related disease like mesothelioma.”

It is hoped that we can build on the impetus of the Scottish Cabinet’s decision to introduce a Bill to reverse the ruling, by embarking on an online petition fighting for Welsh sufferers to be given the same rights as their Scottish counterparts.

“We have been particularly spurred on by the Scottish parliament’s decision and are fighting for Welsh sufferers to be offered the same compensation available to the Scots.”

“The GMB believes the judgement in the courts needs to be overturned by Parliament. Pleural plaques are described by medical textbooks as a disease. The law has always accepted that scar tissue on the outside of the body is an injury so we believe that scar tissue on the inside of the body should be deemed the same. Scarring is an injury wherever it occurs”.

“People with pleural plaques suffer with stress and the fear of death all their lives. Fear of contracting the future illness is so serious that compensation should be paid.”

Heavily influenced by the big insurance companies who could save as much as £1.4 billion as a result of this decision

“This decision was heavily influenced by the big insurance companies who are the only winners in this case expecting to save as much as £1.4 billion as a result. We really would urge all those who want to see justice restored to sign this petition so that we can forcefully campaign to get this decision reversed.”