Compensation for Exposure to Dangerous Dust

Two workers who developed an occupational lung disease after being exposed to a dangerous dust at work have won substantial sums in compensation.

The two men both worked at furnaces in the melting department of a Southwick factory from the 1970s to the 1990s. Both have now developed silicosis, which is caused by inhaling silica dust. The mineral is commonly found in rocks and sand.

Silicosis is caused by the lungs becoming inflamed from exposure to the silica. Eventually this leads to irreversible damage as the lung tissue becomes thickened and scarred. The disease has a variety of symptoms, including tightness of the chest, shortness of breath and a cough.

One of the men had the job of stripping out the furnaces and relining them with silica mix. The protective wear provided by the company was claimed to be inadequate, consisting only of ear defenders, gloves and a mask to protect him from the dust. He was forced to retire from his job in 2000 after being diagnosed with silicosis in 1998. He has been unable to return to work since. The other man, now 60, was forced to take early retirement when he was just 52.

It is thought likely that the company involved exposed other workers to silica and other dangerous substances, such as asbestos, as many more claims are ongoing.