ASBESTOS deaths are set to reach a record high in the next six years, it has been warned. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has said because of the 30- to 40-year delay – where the substance is in the body but not causing harmful effects – more lives could be claimed in the coming years. Most claims are from males in their 60s or 70s who worked in industry between the 1950s and the 1970s. An HSE spokesman said: “The number of deaths attributed to mesothelioma is likely to increase in the next five years as a result of historical exposure and the most vulnerable now are tradespeople working in building renovation.” From 1981-85 some 2,356 people died across the UK but this rose to 2,291 in 2011 alone and is predicted to increase to 2,438 in 2017 and 2018.
- Mesothelioma is a rare cancer caused by exposure to asbestos, which affects the lining of the lungs, chest cavity, or abdomen
- More than 2,500 people are diagnosed with it each year in the UK and there are about five times as many cases in men as in women.
- Asbestos was predominantly used from the 1950s until the 1980s as a fire-proofing and insulation
Extract from http://www.oxfordtimes.co.uk/news
