As one of the UK’s leading specialists in Asbestos Demolition Survey, we know all too well the dangers, despair and loss that exposure to asbestos can bring – the following story being a fine example.
A York family are searching for information after Brian Addison, a retired lift engineer, succumbed to mesothelioma – a practically terminal form of cancer primarily caused by exposure to asbestos.
Addison was diagnosed with the disease just five months prior to his death; a common occurrence, as mesothelioma can take years – or even decades – to show any detectable symptoms. By then, it’s often much too late to treat the disease, which in turn, offers an extremely low survival rate to sufferers.
A search for information
Brian’s son, Carl, is now appealing for information, and asking his father’s former colleagues to help figure out how he came into contact with the now-banned building material.
After a stint in the RAF, Brian became a lift engineer’s assistant in 1966. He worked at various power stations in Yorkshire throughout the 1970s and 1980s, all of which saw him work in dusty conditions with employees stripping lagging from pipe work. It is here where he believed he came into contact with the asbestos that caused him to develop mesothelioma.
Nicola Handley, a specialist industrial disease lawyer at Irwin Mitchell – who is now working with Brian’s family to gather information – stated: “Sadly, we know through our work, that many employers did not do enough to manage the risk associated with asbestos, even as late as in the 1980s, when extensive legislation had already been passed.”
Employers of the last century failing to adequately protect their employees against asbestos are unfortunately an all too common occurrence. This, combined with the delayed effects of mesothelioma, means that many cases of the disease have only come to light in the last few years.
Contact Salvum about our asbestos demolition expertise
Although asbestos is now banned, it does remain in many buildings across the UK. Here at Salvum, we are continuing to do our utmost through our own asbestos services to help reduce the number of future sufferers of asbestos-related disease.
Please don’t hesitate to contact the Salvum team for further information regarding our acclaimed health and safety services.
