As time has gone by, we know that asbestos is a very dangerous material linked to a variety of different medical conditions. If you have been exposed to asbestos fibres over a long period of time, these fibres can stay in your lungs and cause serious damage as a result.
Asbestos illnesses
There’s many debilitating conditions linked to asbestos fibres including asbestosis, which results in the lungs being scarred by the fibres. This condition can lead to other life-threatening conditions including mesothelioma, cancer of the lining of your lungs, as well as lung cancer itself.
Many conditions caused by asbestos do not show until many years after someone has been in contact with the material. This means it’s a long waiting game but for the majority of people, they won’t even know that they’ve been exposed to asbestos until it’s too late.
When was asbestos used?
Gaining popularity during the industrial revolution, asbestos was a useful material for things such as insulation; both in terms of heat, but also sound. Being strong and cheap, it was also resistant to chemicals, water and fire. In the 1970s, asbestos was frequently used as the base level construction of buildings as well as fitting out properties. With this in mind, it is often found in Artex ceiling coatings which were popular at the time.
Banning asbestos
In 1999, asbestos was completely banned in the UK however many types had already been banned beforehand. Several studies confirmed that all types of asbestos had the potential to cause a range of asbestos-related health conditions.
