Who is at risk?

Initially mesothelioma mainly affected:

laggers

thermal insulation engineers

shipyard workers

asbestos manufacturing workers

women who assembled gas masks during the war

However, recent cases show that:

building workers

plumbers

gas fitters

carpenters

electricians

are now the largest high-risk group.

People who come across asbestos while doing DIY (getting rid of an old boiler, for example), are also at risk. Some other people have a low risk of mesothelioma, if they have come into contact with asbestos, but not directly in their work. For example:

People working in places where other workers are handling asbestos

People who have washed worker's overalls

People who lived and played near asbestos factories when they were children.

Infomation sourced from the British Lung Foundation.