What is asbestosis?
Asbestosis (asbestos lung) is a form of pulmonary fibrosis. The cause is the inhalation of asbestos particles.
Asbestos was once widely used in construction. Nowadays, this ought not to and there are strict safety requirements for work with asbestos. When these demands were not there yet, breathing people sometimes for years in asbestos during their work. Asbestosis, therefore, is a true occupational disease. People get this disease after at least ten years have worked with asbestos.
The disease often begins ten years after the last one worked with asbestos. The first symptoms are shortness of breath, dry cough and sometimes shortness of breath. Many people with asbestosis also have wide fingertips and convex nails (finger clubbing). Sometimes there with asbestosis fluid behind the lungs. This also causes shortness of breath.
Asbestosis leads sometimes to quite pleural mesothelioma or lung cancer.
If asbestosis is the result of your work, you can probably get a compensation.
What can you do to prevent asbestosis?
Asbestos is only dangerous if you inhale a lot of asbestos powder. That can happen when you asbestos sheets cuts or breaks in pieces. You can therefore get the best way let asbestos by an expert.
On the outside you can not always see if asbestos in it somewhere. The food and consumer product safety authority can tell you how you can.
There are strict rules for the removal of asbestos. You must first a demolition permit from the municipality. The municipality determines whether you should pick up the asbestos itself, or that an expert to do this. The removal of asbestos, you must pay. Do you have a low income, then you may be entitled to special assistance. At the municipality you will get more information about it.
I have worked with asbestos. Is my employer liable if I get sick?
Employees who have worked with asbestos, can later be sick of. They can asbestosis (lung disease) or mesothelioma (a type of cancer). They note that probably until many years later.
Asbestos has long been widely used in enterprises as insulation companies, garages, construction companies, asbestos cement and petrochemical companies, even though it was at one time known that it could cause health problems.
Have you worked in the past with asbestos and are you thereby become ill later? You can your employer liable if that was not enough to prevent exposure to asbestos, while he could have done. Except if it is for more than thirty years ago is that you've worked for that employer. Then it can no longer. For many people, that very annoying, because the disease often only after thirty reveals.
Legal action against your employer can be costly and complicated and take a long time. Victims of mesothelioma often do not have time. They can therefore go for mediation at the Institute for Asbestos Victims. An employee of the institute helps when applying for an advance on a subsequent payment. He asks this advance to the Social Insurance. Then he looks at whether there is an employer that you can be held liable. If so, he mediates between you and the employer, and quickly tries to reach a settlement. The mediation is free. Getting there despite the mediation is not yet out, then you (or your dependents may) still go to court.