Plumbers, electrical engineers, construction workers and vehicle mechanics are among the tradesmen which are most at risk from asbestos-related diseases, including mesothelioma, according to a new report.
A guide produced for Claims National stated that people who work or have worked in the past in those trades are more likely to have been in contact with the substance than others.
"The symptoms of asbestosis often only appear 15-20 years after the initial exposure to asbestos. Symptoms begin gradually, and may become more noticeable over a few years. Common symptoms are shortness of breath (initially after physical activity, but eventually while resting as well), coughing, wheezing and chest pain," said the report.
Furthermore, plumbers liability insurance holders were told that as these diseases take time to develop, often the employer or person who a claim should be made against for exposure to asbestos is no longer around.
Earlier this week, Ron Church Building Contractors was fined for unlicensed asbestos work.