A 91-year-old widow was found to have died as the result of years of asbestos exposure from washing her husband’s workwear, a Coroner’s verdict has concluded.
Joan McMillan died in her home on the 25th of February 2021, after refusing further tests when admitted to hospital with shortness of breath some days before. Mrs McMillan’s husband had died fifteen years prior to her, having been directly exposed to asbestos himself for years at his place of work.
It is believed that she came into contact with asbestos dust resting on her husband’s clothing, as she regularly washed them for him upon his return home from work. An inquest was held after her death, and the Coroner recorded a conclusion of mesothelioma as a result of ‘Industrial Disease’.
This is tragic story, as we now know much more of the long-term effects of asbestos exposure, but the symptoms can mask themselves for decades before finally coming to light in later life.
What is Asbestos?
Asbestos is a naturally occurring fibre that unfortunately saw widespread use in construction and other industries throughout the 1900s. The use of the material was banned in the UK in 1999, after it became apparent that it had many hugely negative health consequences that manifest over an extended period of time.
The most common fibres used in the UK were:
- Blue (Crocidolite)
- Brown (Amosite)
- White (Chrysotile)
What is Mesothelioma?
Mesothelioma is a form of cancer that develops within the lining of organs such as the heart, the abdomen, or most often the lungs. The main cause of this disease is from the inhalation of asbestos dust.
Where can asbestos be found?
Prior to its ban at the end of the last century, asbestos was commonly used for its heat-resistant properties in the composition of walls, insulation, flooring and roofing. With it being a relatively short length of time since it was banned altogether, it is possible that buildings erected prior to the year 2000 still contain it.
How can an asbestos-related condition be triggered?
Left alone and intact, it poses little risk. The danger comes when an item containing asbestos is disturbed or damaged, as tiny fibres can shed from it and become airborne, allowing them to be naturally inhaled into the lining of the lungs.
How long does it take for symptoms to appear?
It can take years or even decades to experience an adverse reaction to the inhalation of asbestos fibres, and we often see cases where someone had been retired from the place where they were exposed before the effects become known.
Some types of asbestos-related conditions such as pleural plaques may never reveal symptoms at all.
Who is most likely to be at risk of asbestos exposure and conditions such as mesothelioma?
Industrial workers such as builders, or those in construction between the 1970s to the 1990s are most likely to have been exposed to asbestos. Other roles could have put workers into contact with it though, such as shipbuilding, factory work and insulation to name a few.
Am I entitled to claim compensation for an asbestos-related illness?
It is possible to make a claim for asbestos-related Industrial Disease is upon diagnosis. Limitations can apply depending upon the amount of time since diagnosis or realisation of the condition, but as they often take years to appear it would still be advisable to check if you are able to make a claim anyway.
It is also possible for someone to make a claim who has been diagnosed as having been in contact with someone in the same house who was exposed to asbestos, as it can be transferred by clothing – as in the news story at the top of this article.
Further reading
More detailed information about asbestos-related diseases can be found here in our own online resource.
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