We now know that asbestos is a killer, and those sufferingfrom asbestos-related diseases have been entitled to claim compensation for theirillnesses for a number of years. More recently,those who have been affected through secondary exposure to asbestos havediscovered they may be able to make , as well.

Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral which is toxic tohumans. Inhaling it can lead to a number of serious health problems, including lungcancer, asbestosis and mesothelioma.

Asbestos is soft, pliable and able to withstand heat, electricityand chemical damage, all properties which led to its widespread use in buildingand manufacturing from the late 19^th century until the mid-1980s. Itwas at this time that it became widely acknowledged that asbestos was adangerous substance, and many uses of asbestos have been banned ever since.

Although many buildings still have asbestos within them, simplybeing in close proximity to the substance is not dangerous. You can live in ahouse which contains asbestos without ever being affected by it, provided the asbestosdust and fibres are not released into the air and inhaled. However, anyonedismantling buildings which contain asbestos must take precautions so as not toinhale the fibres.

Asbestos exposure is most deadly when the fibres are inhaledregularly over a long period of time, for example, through working withasbestos or as a result of living in close proximity to an asbestos mine.

Asbestos has been used habitually for many years, mostly bypeople unaware of its dangers. Because lots of these people were effectively putin danger at work by their employer, many affected by asbestos-related diseasessuch as asbestosis and mesothelioma (asbestos-related cancer) are now making for compensation, and have been doing so since 1972.

Because symptoms of asbestos-related illnesses may notappear until many years after the initial exposure, asbestos compensationclaims can be backdated by years or even decades.

More recently, the medical profession has come to realisethat it is not just those who have been exposed to asbestos at work that couldbecome ill. Their friends and family may also be affected, if they regularlycame into contact with them while they still had asbestos on their work clothes.

Often, the partners or relatives of those who have workedwith asbestos on a daily basis have inhaled the substance each day whilewashing their work outfits or overalls. Many claims have been filed by womenwho were made sick in this way, and interviews with the victims showed thatthey would usually shake out the clothes before they washed them, therebyreleasing more of the dust and fibres into the air they were breathing.