Sadly, there are regular reminders in the news that help to spread asbestos awareness and remind us of the continued importance today of asbestos consultancy and surveying services in protecting those who may otherwise risk coming into contact with the notoriously deadly fibres.
One such story to have emerged is that of former joiner Allen Lavell, from Redbourn, Hertfordshire. His death in March 2015, aged 78, followed a painful battle with mesothelioma, the incurable cancer caused by the inhalation or ingestion of asbestos fibres.
An all-too-familiar tale
Allen worked as a joiner and carpenter for a number of London firms in the 1950s and 1960s, when it is he believed that he may have come into contact with asbestos.
Mr Lavell’s son, John, said of his father’s employment: “We never knew too much about dad’s work other than he was a carpenter and joiner, but once we found out he had mesothelioma, he told us about how he may have been exposed to asbestos.
“He recalled manufacturing doors in the mid-1950s which he was required to fill with asbestos to fireproof them. Aside from this, he couldn’t recall anything further, but we hope there are people out there that worked with dad who can help us to piece together how and where he might have come into contact with asbestos.”
However, John admitted that his father could have encountered asbestos throughout his working life, given the then much more relaxed nature of the regulations concerning the substance’s use. The family is now working closely with expert industrial disease lawyers to appeal for more information from his former colleagues.
Asbestos is still claiming lives
Although asbestos may have finally been banned in the United Kingdom in 1999, there are still many traces of the fibres in older buildings. It is because of this, as well as the tendency for mesothelioma symptoms to often not emerge until many years after the initial asbestos exposure, that many cases of asbestos-related diseases are only just coming to light now.
Thankfully, there is now plenty that can be done to safeguard your own employees against the lethal effects of asbestos. Here at Salvum, we offer a wide array of asbestos services, including risk assessments, surveys, refurbishment and demolition. For further information, simply get in touch with a member of our team.
