Asbestos is a hazardous substance that has been proven to cause a wide range of diseases. Its strong, malleable fibres have valuable use in construction and industry. For many decades its use in the UK was widespread and unregulated.
In Britain, millions of buildings; factories, schools, offices, workshops, and construction materials contain asbestos. There have also been health scares around household objects, for example; several years ago trace amounts of asbestos were found in some brands of children’s crayons.
There are now Health and Safety laws in modern Britain governing asbestos. Unfortunately, asbestos has been so widely used, it is impossible to remove all the dangerous materials overnight.
Regulations governing asbestos can be difficult to understand. There are different types of asbestos, all with slightly different properties and uses. Different kinds of asbestos have their own risks, regulations and guidelines for disposal.
As solicitors working with the laws governing asbestos – our simple introductory guides help separate the facts from fiction. We give common sense advice about asbestos and an overview of the health risks.
On our site we explain the different types of asbestos and what they have been traditionally used for in the UK. We highlight the occupations that are most at risk, and the types of worker most likely to come into contact with asbestos.
After media stories linking asbestos to public buildings, many people are concerned by the wide use of asbestos in construction. In our guide you can learn what buildings are most likely to contain asbestos, and who is most at risk.
One area of asbestos law that people frequently ask about is: ‘how do you identify asbestos?’ Other clients want to know the laws around the removal and safe disposal of asbestos. Our asbestos advice guides offer an introduction to these and other problems faced by people who suspect they may have been exposed to asbestos.
Exposure to asbestos can cause a range of life threatening illnesses which are not the fault of asbestos workers. There is a long tradition in the UK of people receiving compensation for their injuries.
Victims of asbestos exposure may be entitled substantial damages. Many UK workers have already claimed large sums of money to compensate them for their asbestos diseases, loss of earnings and their risk of future health problems.
At Macks Solicitors , we are proud of our work helping victims of asbestos diseases. As experts in the field we understand the terrible impact that the symptoms of asbestos exposure can have on the life of sufferers. We offer a quality, caring service and cutting edge asbestos advice to help victims of asbestos claim maximum compensation.
Inquests
For all deaths occurring in England and Wales the cause of the death has to be reported to the Registrar of Births, Marriages and Deaths for the district where the death occurred and be registered by the Registrar.
Asbestos removal closes school
In 2003, a school discovered asbestos whilst carrying out rewiring work. The school had to be closed whilst the asbestos was urgently removed by professionals, which took several months. There is a risk of inhaling asbestos fibres during removal so it is important that it is only completed by someone who is trained and has sufficient protection.
Success of HSE Asbestos Campaign
In 2008, the HSE launched its ‘Hidden Killer’ campaign, aiming to raise awareness of the dangers of asbestos and reduce the death rate from asbestos-related diseases. Since the launch of the campaign, the HSE has seen a 100% increase in calls to its telephone Infoline and the number of visitors to the ‘Hidden Killer’ website has increased by six times.
Firm fined for breaching asbestos regulations
Earlier this year, the BBC reported that a firm had been charged £18,000 for failing to protect seven of its workers from exposure to asbestos. In a statement after the case was heard, the HSE stated that licensed workers should have been called in to remove the asbestos.
Company fined for asbestos exposure
A London-based company has been fined £33,000 plus £18,000 costs for exposing workers to asbestos at a storage property. The firm pleaded guilty to three different offences in June this year.
Care needed when working with asbestos cement
Asbestos cement is made from ordinary cement mixed with asbestos. Asbestos can make up around a third of the cement in some cases. Asbestos cement looks just like ordinary cement but it also has some of the properties that made asbestos so popular as a building material, before the harmful effects of exposure were realised.
Asbestos disposal truck overturns
In 2005, the BBC reported an accident in which a lorry overturned and spilled 30 tonnes of asbestos on to the street in Walsall. The area was closed off as police attended the incident and a specialist waste disposal team cleared the material.
