Region Launches Asbestos Register
11 Nov 2010
Exposure to asbestos can lead to a number of different types of lung disease, though not everyone who has been exposed will develop an asbestos related condition. The most serious is mesothelioma, a rare form of cancer which is only known to be caused by asbestos. It is incurable and normally proves fatal within 6–18 months from the onset of symptoms.
Mesothelioma, like other less serious forms of asbestos disease, can take between 20 to 50 years or more to develop after the asbestos fibres have been inhaled into the lungs.
The occupations most at risk include members who previously worked in shipyards, power stations, petrochemical plants, engineering, manufacturing and construction.
However an increasing number of people are being diagnosed with mesothelioma who were employed in schools, local authority premises and other public sector workplaces due to coming into contact with dust from damaged asbestos containing materials within the structure of the building such as pipe work insulation, partition walls and ceiling tiles.
The GMB asbestos register is a permanent and structured database of information that can help to speed up the process of obtaining compensation for members who develop asbestos disease. The database records the names of members, their employers, the workplaces where they came into contact with asbestos and the relevant dates.
Preserving this information on a database enables the union and its solicitors to identify witnesses who worked in the same place at the same time to obtain evidence in support of members’ claims – now and in the future.
If you believe you have been exposed to asbestos in your workplace at any time in the past, no mater how long ago, you should complete the asbestos register questionnaire which can be obtained from GMB.
Contact Lesley O’Mara on 0845 337 7777 or email lesley.o’[email protected]. You can also download a copy below.
Joint Union Asbestos Committee