Industrial Injuries: The Facts

Illnesses suffered by individuals as a direct result of their working environment are more common than you might think. Unlike injuries, illnesses are less obvious and can develop over an extended period of time.

If you believe that you may be suffering from an industrial illness, and are looking for more information you may find this brief overview a helpful source to further assess your situation or perhaps learn more about a recent diagnosis. If you do believe that you are suffering from an illness it is crucial that you do visit a doctor as soon as possible.

Asbestos This disease results from inhaling asbestos fibers which aggravate the lungs resulting in scarring of the lungs. The illness can also further develop into Fibrosis. Exposure to Asbestos can also trigger other serious conditions such as Mesothelioma, lung disease and pleural thickening.

The disease can also affect people whose friends or family have come into contact Asbestos. The fibers can be carried and then inhaled from workers clothes or hair.

If you were in contact with Asbestos between 1950-1985 you have the right to make a legal claim against exposure to Asbestos.

Mesothelioma Caused from exposure to Asbestos fibers and dust, Mesothelioma is a cancer affecting the Mesothelioma cells, which cover the body's internal organs. The Cancer usually takes 20 - 50 years to develop.

Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI) Common in most office jobs, this illness affects a person by causing pain in their muscles, nerves and tendons. The condition generally affects upper parts of the body, like the forearm, wrists, elbows, neck, hands and shoulders. Caused by doing a particular task repeatedly for a sustained period of time

Vibration White Finger Sufferers of Vibration White Finger usually have worked with vibrating machinery or in extreme cold weather. The symptoms are commonly numb and tingling fingers and toes, or even in some cases the nose and ears. In more severe cases the fingers will turn white. In more extreme cases the person can actually loose their fingers.

Tinnitus Tinnitus sufferers experience ringing, buzzing, humming or whistling noises in the ears and/or head with no external source, the noises vary in pitch, the location in the head can not always be directly pin pointed. generally caused from exposure to loud noise; factory workers working with loud machinery.

If you believe that you have sustained an illness as a result of your working environment you should not be worried about claiming compensation from your employer, it is your companies responsibility to provide a safe working environment, by speaking out you will also help to prevent others suffering the same fate in the future.