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For many, coal mining might seem a thing of the past in Britain, consigned to the Victorian Industrial Revolution and reaching its end in the 80s through Margaret Thatcher's Government – but this isn't so, and many coal workers today are at risk of developing black lung disease during their working lives if their employers do not provide them with the correct protective clothing.
The largest coal company in the UK in 2010 was UK COAL, who had around 3,109 employees and nine operational mines throughout the country, but according to COALPRO, the Confederation of UK Coal Producers, there were nine other companies in the coal business in 2010 and the British industry as a whole employed an average of 9,000 people, and many others indirectly, for maintenance and supplies, for example.
What is black lung disease?
It can take around 10 years after initial exposure, before symptoms of black lung present themselves. Those most affected by this disease are coal mine workers who, over many years of employment, have inhaled fine coal dust from the air around them.
Similarly to asbestos fibres, a person's lungs cannot remove coal dust particles, and so the dust builds up in the lung lining and can result in scarring of tissue, which in turn may lead to shortness of breath, severe coughing and obstruction of air passages. With the progression of black lung, victims are also prone to other pulmonary diseases.
Very serious cases could even result in an enlargement of the right side of the heart, eventually ending in heart failure. This is because the role of the right side of the heart is to push blood through the lungs. Struggling against the scarring of lung tissue, the heart's right side becomes strained by higher blood pressure.
Black lung disease is sometimes referred to by other titles. These are as follows:
Treatment
As of yet there is no cure for this industrial disease, but after leaving the employment of the coal mine at which they worked, an individual's symptoms tend not to get any worse. Past cases show that the disease is not progressive once out of the dusty atmosphere of a coal mine.
Victims who are suffering extreme breathing problems can be offered asthma inhalers or supplemental oxygen to aid them.
Would you like to claim black lung disease compensation?
The HSE states that in 2009 there were 255 assessed cases of coal worker's pneumoconiosis. If you are a victim of black lung disease and wish to claim compensation for your pain, suffering and loss of earnings, then YouClaim are here to help you.
Our expert solicitors work on a no win, no fee basis, so our services won't cost you a penny, and should your claim be successful, you will keep 100% compensation, because we won't take a cut.
To find out if we could take on your black lung disease case, call us direct on 0800 10 757 95, fill out our online claim form, or chat to a member of our team using live help to get advice and information about making a claim.
