Fiberglass insulation hazard to lungs

Hi, I am new to the site. Just this last Friday I had my heating company come out for the last time. For over a year now my home was seriously dusty. I started coughing, pain in my lungs with heaviness not to mention numerous other issues. This company installed a new furnace as well as duct cleaning. They told me at first the dust was from my pets. Well that was not the case, back to Friday. I eas told my cold intake in my attic had separated about 2 inches and was buried under my blow in insulation. So for a year and a month I have breathed in insulation and now have issues. I called my doctor right away and made an appointment for next week. The heating company blew this off and now are scrambling to fix the dust issue- which is really insulation. What am I to expect now with my health, my lungs. I am sick and can’t breathe very well.

Wow, that could be significant exposure to irritants - especiallyifit is blown in fiberglass. What it means for you in the short and long term will be a topic for discussion with your doctor.

Be sure to bag some of the insulation now, so I there should be disputes in the future, you have proof of what was in your attic. Also make sure the heating company has documented the separation. If they took pictures, try to get copies.

If I were in this situation, I would demand a thorough duct cleaning on their dime, but by an independent company, and if you doctor recommends it a full cleaning of all other soft furnishings and upholstery, carpet cleaning, maybe even walls and ceilings.

Next, make sure anyone living with you gets checked out too - early exposure to irritating substances can set kids up for lifelong lung problems.

Will you let us know how this works out?

Yes I will post back what I find out from my doctor. Also the heating company is the one who caused the separation from cleaning my ducts after the furnace was installed. They are liable and scheduled a free cleaning and new filter at no cost. I have a lot of clean up to do which I am sure they will not pay for. As for others in the home, it is just myself and three dogs.

Some (many) times, "the squeaky wheel" gets results. In your shoes, I would speak politely but firmly to the head of the company. If they are a reputable business, they have insurance to cover just such circumstances, and you need to press for them to take care of it.
If it is fiberglass or vermiculite insulation, special precautions need to be taken in the cleanup as these are both a lung irritant, but also a physical one. If it is "rock wool" it is still a lung irritant in its dust state.
Please be proactive and get this cleaned up according to accepted protocols to protect you and your pets.

I have just about decided in the last couple of years that we almost need a third party to check the work of the second party. It has just about come to that with recent attitudes toward work being done. About 15 years ago I also came to the conclusion that it was going to get harder and harder to find people to do the needed work, who have the right attitude of doing a good job, who are honest and fair. Good people are out there we just have to take the time to find them and as well I find that doing my homework ahead of time, research, helps a great deal. Not saying that I don't get caught and find I fell down and lost site of my guidelines in hiring someone or forgetting an aspect of what needed to be done and didn't get done by the workers, it happens.

Due to my having gone through much with construction items in the last 50 plus years I agree with all you have said Sue.

It is especially important to hold companies and people accountable otherwise they continue to go about doing things the way that they want and often not good to the one paying the bills. The problem is it can be stressful and costly if we have to "fight' them to do right by us. But try we must, when we can, for many reasons, I know because I try to "fight" when needed, sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. It depends upon our choice of who we hired and their attitude about right from wrong and doing right by their customer.
Barbara