Asbestos is the biggest occupational health killer in the UK. It is estimated that around 3,500 people per year die in this country from asbestos related diseases.

There are three main diseases associated with asbestos ;- asbestosis, mesothelioma and lung cancer.
Asbestosis is associated with high exposure to asbestos and is caused by fine fibres entering the gas exchange region of the lung, causing irreversible scaring of the tissue there.

Mesothelioma which can only be contracted by exposure to asbestos is a cancer of the chest lining (the pleura).

Lung cancer may also be caused by exposure to asbestos. The likelihood of contracting lung cancer is greatly increased if a person is both exposed to asbestos and smokes.

There is no cure for any of these diseases and all are terminal.