News

As the UK struggles to keep up with the mounting mortality rates of people diagnosed with asbestos-related deaths, the policy of successive governments still dictates asbestos should not be disturbed. Still today, many believe that provided asbestos is painted over or not degraded so that its fibres are airborne, it is safe. Recent research and studies suggest this is not the case. According to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), asbestos is the biggest cause of work-related deaths in the UK. Today, many hospitals, schools and other public buildings are aged and commonly in varying states of disrepair, meaning the chances [...]

In a letter published by the Guardian on 2 January, Dr Gill Read, a former technical adviser from the Joint Union Asbestos Committee, has proclaimed that due to asbestos exposure the UK has the highest percentage of mesothelioma cases worldwide. He also wrote that the Guardian’s investigation into underinvestment in public buildings has revealed its harmful effects and that as many as 1.5m children in England are studying in unfit school buildings (read more here). However, he added that it was “heartening” that a government spokesperson has stated that “immediate action to remedy the state of disrepair” should be taken. He [...]

Bridge McFarland LLP has secured £125,000 in damages for the family of a former Grimsby and Immingham Docker who died from Asbestosis. The deceased was diagnosed with Asbestosis after undergoing a routine CT scan at Grimsby Hospital. He was regularly exposed to asbestos in the 1960’s and 1970’s whilst working on the Grimsby and Immingham Docks unloading bags of asbestos dust which were imported before being distributed elsewhere. The bags would regularly split during the unloading process which covered the deceased and his work colleagues in clouds of dangerous asbestos dust. The deceased was never warned about the dangers of working [...]

A Glasgow shipyard worker who spent 25 years campaigning for victims of asbestos has inspired a new clothing range which aims to continue spreading awareness whilst honouring his contribution to the fight against asbestos. The range, launched by Glasgow-based clothing brand Finnieston, includes a shipyard-themed T-shirt featuring Bob Dickie’s initials. Five per cent of the proceeds will go to the Clydebank Asbestos Group, a charity dedicated to supporting those affected by asbestos exposure. Bob Dickie, a former worker at the John Brown shipyard and one of the founding members of the Clydebank Asbestos Group, sadly passed away in October of last year but [...]

Mesothelioma UK, the mesothelioma cancer charity, has recently shared details of a six-month research project that has been investigating a new class of cancer target for mesothelioma diagnosis and treatment. This latest research study, supported by Mesothelioma UK and funded by Erase Meso, aims to characterise a new target for cancer treatment that could potentially benefit patients suffering from this asbestos-related cancer. According to the article, the research team focused on an enzyme called ‘MDIG’, which acts a cellular switch using oxygen. Although MDIG is already known to be persistently active in several tumour types, it has not been previously explicitly [...]

According to the Health and Safety Executive, asbestos remains one of the biggest contributors to workplace-related deaths in the UK. Even today, people remain unaware of the fact that it can be years after contact with asbestos before any symptoms make themselves known. It is not uncommon for employees to have worked for several employers over their adult life that have allowed them to work in environments leading to exposure to harmful dust.   Given the potentially long time it can take for the effects of asbestos to reveal themselves, the businesses a potential sufferer may have once worked for might [...]