Asbestos exposure can leave you with a form of cancer known as mesothelioma. While there is no definitive cure, catching the disease early enough allows doctors to intervene to try and reduce its spread. Or at least make the following years less painful for you.
The symptoms of mesothelioma typically do not present until years after the asbestos exposure occurs. While anyone could have come into contact with this harmful substance, it is much more likely if you worked in certain trades or professions. Here are some where workers have a particularly high risk of asbestos exposure:
Construction work
If you worked in construction you may have been exposed to asbestos when doing things such as ripping out walls or ceilings. If you worked in this industry long enough ago, you might also have been installing products containing asbestos. For example, some sheet roofing contained it. Even someone like an electrician who had to drill holes in walls to install wiring may have had significant exposure.
Vehicle maintenance
Vehicle brake manufacturers used asbestos in their brake pads. So, if your job involved changing brake pads, you may have inhaled quite a lot of toxic asbestos dust.
Shipyard work
Whether you were building ships or tearing old ones apart for scrap, you will likely have been in contact with asbestos. It is used in ships, particularly around the engine room, because it is heatproof, non-flammable, and does not corrode. One report suggests that 65% of current vessels still contain it.
If you spent time in one of these lines of work, be sure to mention it to your doctor so they know to look out for the warning signs of mesothelioma. If they spot them, you can learn more about claiming compensation for the costs that will no doubt result.
