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compensation following an accident
illness or injury - nationwide
Call: 0800 10 757 95
Construction workers, shipbuilders, plumbers and electricians are among the tradesmen whose jobs may eventually lead them to the door of an asbestos solicitor but there are many others, including their families, who could, unwittingly, find themselves exposed to the deadly fibres.
Before the 1960s, few households had domestic washing machines and dirty clothes were washed by hand then, perhaps, wrung with a mangle before being hung out to dry on an indoor or outdoor line. Gradually, in the last 50 years, the number of households in the UK without a machine has reduced to a tiny percentage.
Men and women, who work in industrial environments and wear overalls or specific clothes for their jobs, need them washed and that's one of the areas where contamination by asbestos fibres can be spread beyond the initial workplace.
The microscopic fibres are so small that they are trapped in the fabric of the overalls and, although washing will reduce their number, it is almost impossible for ordinary washing to remove them completely.
There are also the hazards to the person doing the washing to be considered. Hand-washing would create the most risk of breathing in the dangerous specks but handling the dirty overalls by putting them in the washing machine could also create potentially-dangerous dust.
This type of indirect contamination has led to a number of compensation payouts to launderers and wives of industrial workers who regularly washed asbestos-contaminated garments and contracted the disease themselves because of inhaling fibres from the textiles.
Contractors, which regularly remove items made with asbestos from building sites and similar areas, are obliged to provide washing facilities both for the people doing the work and for their garments and towels used for showering at the end of the day.
Specialist laundries with fully-trained workers will ensure the maximum cleansing of towels and work wear before re-use. Employees will not be able to leave a site in their dirty clothes or take them home for washing.
In a domestic DIY context or if a private tradesman has come into contact with asbestos, the advice is to wear disposable clothes, remove them carefully as soon as possible and to have a thorough shower before entering home, office or other building.
Waste management departments of local councils will give advice about disposal of potentially-hazardous asbestos-contaminated clothing and other items.
Using an asbestos solicitor from YouClaim
YouClaim has an excellent record of representing people who are suffering from an industrial illness or need an asbestos solicitor, achieving compensation for those whose lives have been restricted because of neglect or action by an employer or other person.
If you, or a loved one, feel you may be in this category of being affected by indirect contamination with asbestos, which has put your health at risk, you can have a free consultation with one of our personal injury lawyers.
All of them are ready to help with a sympathetic ear combined with professional knowledge and judgement.
There are a number of ways to contact our asbestos solicitor to discuss the possibility of making a damages claim: online there is an initial contact form on this page, you can start echat, ask one of our helpful legal advisers to call you at a convenient time or you can phone now on 0800 10 757 95.
