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Fire Blankets

Asbestos - this product is now known to instill fear in people, however that was not always the case. In the past, asbestos was used frequently in many different products ranging from one end of the spectrum to the other. One of these products that frequently used asbestos was fire blankets. Fire blankets were used to wrap around a person to extinguish clothing that was on fire. Likewise, fire blankets could be used to help you escape from a burning building without catching your clothes on fire.

Asbestos fabrics were used to create fire blankets for many reasons. A few of those reasons include durability, long lasting, and cost effectiveness. Asbestos is a very durable product - asbestos fibers are thin but nearly indestructible, making them perfect for fire blankets. However useful asbestos was for making fire blankets, it is now known that asbestos exposure causes serious health problems and diseases such as mesothelioma cancer.

Asbestos fibers that are used in fire blankets are very thin but very strong. They are described as being virtually indestructible. Because they are so thin, they are easily inhaled and if they become lodged in the lining of the heart, abdomen or lungs, the body is powerless to rid themselves of the fiber. This lodged fiber becomes inflamed and causes mesothelioma cancer.

Mesothelioma is a rare type of cancer that makes up approximately three per cent of cancer related deaths each year. While this cancer is considered to be rare, it accounts for nearly 2,000 new cases each year. Mesothelioma's only known cause is asbestos exposure and this cancer does not respond to common cancer treatments such as chemo and radiation therapies.

Many people owned asbestos fire blankets in their homes or had them at their place of employment. Even the military had asbestos fire blankets until the health concerns were figured out. For workers who helped to manufacture asbestos fire blankets, as well as people who used them, the risk of contracting mesothelioma is there.

However, there is no direct correlation to the amount of asbestos exposure and e frequency or likelihood of being diagnosed with mesothelioma. There are people with very limited asbestos exposure that have been diagnosed, while others with frequent or major exposure that are never diagnosed.

One of the key issues with asbestos fire blankets and their impact on health is that it takes between 15 and 40 years for symptoms to show and for a diagnosis to be made. Once the diagnosis is made, there is very little that a doctor can do for a victim. For the families and loved ones of mesothelioma victims, there is help and hope. A qualified mesothelioma lawyer can help you launch a lawsuit for asbestos laden fire blankets causing mesothelioma in yourself or in your family member.

While money will not replace a life or health, it can help to improve the quality of life for the victim as well as for the families by paying for medical expenses, funeral expenses and lost wages.

Asbestos fire blankets have largely been destroyed and taken out of the general public, however there is a possibility that some fire blankets containing asbestos are still around. If you aren't sure if your fire blanket has asbestos, find out. Lessening your exposure to asbestos, and the exposure of others, should be a top priority.

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Select... Mesothelioma Lung Cancer Asbestosis Severe Asbestosis Unknown

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