• Asbestos was used to make friction materials such as brake and clutch linings. • Asbestos was used in many prefabricated school buildings and was also present in classrooms in the form of in fire blankets, Bunsen burner mats and gauze. • Asbestos gloves and blankets were provided to welders and firefighters to shield them from sparks. • Asbestos rope was used as packing by plumbers and heating engineers. Many also cut boiler flues and backing plates made from asbestos products. • Asbestos was used to wrap electrical cables.
Who is at risk?
Anyone exposed to asbestos dust is at risk of developing an asbestos related disease. The risk increases with the level of exposure, although even low level exposure is enough to create a risk.
There is usually a long period between being exposed to asbestos and developing symptoms from a condition (10 to 60+ years). However, not everyone who has been exposed to asbestos will develop a disease. Family members may also have been exposed to asbestos fibres from contact with someone exposed to asbestos at work, or even from washing their clothes. Those who lived near an asbestos factory or who experienced other environmental exposure are also at risk.
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