Workplace Asbestos -
Asbestosis, Asbestos in British Buildings

Where's The Asbestos?

The TUC wants a public register of asbestos in workplaces, homes and public buildings.

In a submission to the HSC on new asbestos regulations, the TUC has welcomed the HSC proposals to require employers to survey their buildings for asbestos, but added the public and workers must have a right to know where there is asbestos in British buildings that contain the fatal fibre.

TUC general secretary John Monks said:

'Every year, 4,500 people die from asbestos-related diseases in Great Britain, and the main source of exposure in the future will be from the decay and disturbance of asbestos in premises across Britain. We welcome in particular the provisions for union safety reps to be involved in the management of asbestos risks. The protection promised by the new regulations rightly concentrates on those most at risk - workers engaged in repair, renovation and removal as well as workers in the emergency services. But the needs of others, such as the general public and workers in buildings with asbestos present, also need to be addressed.'

The public register should be freely accessible, for example on the internet, TUC said.

TUC submission, Starting to clear out the fatal fibre - managing the risks of asbestos in premises.

Insurers refuse asbestos claims The insurance company Royal and Sun Alliance is refusing to pay compensation to victims of asbestos dust who worked in the Clyde shipyards. The company has denied claims that the law was broken when it issued insurance certificates to asbestos manufacturer Turner and Newall. Many former employees subsequently developed incurable diseases related to the dust.

Lawyers acting for sufferers say that from 1972 to 1977 Royal and Sun Alliance, formerly Royal Insurance, issued certificates to Turner and Newall, excluding asbestosis. They say this was illegal and Royal and Sun Alliance should now pay up. Royal, however, insists it has not broken the law, saying it excluded asbestos-related injury because it was a risk it was not willing to underwrite and Turner and Newall was self-insured against asbestosis.

The lawyer for those affected, Frank Maguire of Thompson's Solicitors, said they had already applied through the courts for documents that would prove Royal was liable. Asbestos compensation is becoming a highly contentious issue worldwide. Companies in the US are increasingly reporting financial difficulties due to the volume of claims.

BBC News Online.

For the international picture see the Financial Times and Hazards safety crimes webpages Victory for asbestos safety row worker An engineering consultant who lost his job after raising concerns about the handling of asbestos has been awarded more than ·40,000 compensation.

Making the award, a Glasgow employment tribunal ruled that Cadogan Consultants Ltd was wrong to dismiss Albert Wardle, who had continued to raise concerns about safety and training in relation to asbestos exposure. The warnings followed a serious incident at Perth Crematorium in which staff had been in contact with potentially harmful fibres.

The Scotsman

MOD 1: Asbestos victim's right to fight A dockyard worker has won the right to sue for damages over exposure to asbestos, despite bringing his action later than the law would normally allow. John Pope, 60, a former shipwright at Rosyth Naval Dockyard, worked alongside his brother, who died from the asbestos cancer mesothelioma. He submitted his claim years after being diagnosed with asbestos-related pleural plaques in 1997, but said he was so relieved to not have asbestosis he did not take in any other information. His employer, the Ministry of Defence (MoD), had argued the case was 'out of time.'

The Scotsman

MOD 2: Judgment paves way for forces asbestos payouts The High Court has paved the way for compensation claims by members of the armed forces who have previously been blocked from suing the government for death or injury. Mr Justice Keith backed the argument that the current immunity from action is incompatible with rights under the European Convention. The case was brought by Alan Matthews who claims that he developed an asbestos-related illness as a result of asbestos exposure in the course of his work in the Royal Navy.

He was employed as an electrical engineer between 1955 and 1968. He says it was not until some time in 1999 that he became aware that his illness was attributable to what he alleges were acts or omissions on the part of the Ministry of Defence (MoD). MoD was given permission to appeal.

Ananova

South Africa: Cape fear for compensation
South African asbestos victims have an anxious wait for hard-won compensation from London-listed Cape plc. Richard Meeran of Leigh Day & Co, the London lawyer for the South African victims, says Cape signed a settlement agreement last month in "good faith" and adds he has "every expectation" that Cape will meet its liability. However, Meeran concedes there is still a "risk" that Cape plc will go insolvent. Cape has agreed to pay ·21 million into a trust fund (Risks 33). The company has still to obtain approval from its bankers and shareholders for the deal. Meeran says if payouts are stalled the matter will proceed to trial. Business Day

Asbestos lung cancer is often confused with pleural mesothelioma because both involve cancers affecting a similar area of the body. Asbestos lung cancer affects the lung itself, as opposed to pleural mesothelioma which affects the lining of the lung cavity.

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