Breathing in asbestos fibres can lead to people developing one of three fatal diseases:

* ASBESTOSIS - Scarring of the lung

* LUNG CANCER

* MESOTHELIOMA - Which is a cancer of the lining around the lungs and stomach

These diseases can take from 15 - 60 years to develop, from first exposure - so you or your employees would not be aware of any sudden change in health after breathing asbestos

It is the precautions you take now which will affect your, or your employees health in the future.

Increased risk to the above diseases may result from:

* The type of asbestos fibre (Blue or brown more dangerous than white)

* The younger they are at first exposure

* The number of fibres that are breathed in

* The number of times they are exposed

* Smoking

Asbestos fibres enter your body when you breathe, the body gets rid of large fibres, but microscopic fibres can pass into the lung where they can cause disease.

The body naturally gets rid of asbestos fibres taken in with food and water. The fibres cannot be absoerbed through the skin.