Six silicon based naturally occurring minerals made up of microscopic, fibrous crystals are known as Asbestos. The material has been historically used for its mixture of prized qualities. Asbestos is resistant to heat and chemicals and have vast tensile strength and flexibility. Hazardous by nature, inhalation of the material can cause severe health issues such as lung cancer, Asbestosis and Mesothelioma.
The use of asbestos was first documented by the ancient Greeks; they acknowledged the valuable properties of the substance whilst also being moderately conscious of the hazards. The Greek geographer Strabo noted the remarkable chronic lung damage of slaves who worked with the material, mining it and weaving it into cloth.
Asbestos was used for garments and tablecloths by wealthy Persians, Greeks and Romans, they would often demonstrate how the material could be cleaned using fire, and this became a popular status symbol as some cultures thought the material was made of the fur of an animal which lived in fire known as a ‘Samandar’.
By the 19th century Asbestos had become commercially exploited as it provided many properties unobtainable from other materials. It was used in fireproofing, bricks, pipe insulation and roofing to name a few and its uses were not limited to buildings. Ships were commonly fitted with the material as insulation and fireproofing, particularly during WWII.
Elevated death rates and lung diseases were observed by researchers in the early 1900s, particularly in asbestos mining areas. In the 1930s scientists had officially acknowledged sufferers of ‘asbestosis’ and ‘Mesothelioma’ and directly related them to exposure to asbestos.
By the year 2000 all production and use of all kinds of asbestos was banned and by November 2006 the UK government had introduced a strict regulations aimed at minimising contact with the material. The legislations ban the use of the material but also provide strict guidelines on how to manage existing asbestos.
Have you been exposed to asbestos? You are probably entitled to compensation, visit EAD Solicitor’s site for advice on personal injury claims.
