News and Knowledge

Woman dies from asbestos-related disease 60 years after exposure

A woman from Shrewsbury died of a lung disease caused by asbestos, 60 years after working at a plumbing firm, a coroner has concluded.   Collette Jennifer Breeze, 76 worked in the office of her father’s plumbing business for one year when she was 16.     But she did not stay with the business,…

Asbestos in schools – fears for 1,000 British schools after increasing number of teacher deaths

A new report has expressed ‘extreme concern’ as up to 1,000 schools could contain asbestos in the UK.   A report, published by the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has revealed that 700,000 pupils are learning in ‘unsafe’ schools that need major rebuilding or refurbishment.     The report has criticised the school estate, adding that…

British Navy face higher risk of lung cancer due to on-board asbestos exposure, study finds

A University of Oxford study has found that asbestos exposure led to a higher incidence of asbestos-related lung cancers in British naval personnel than in any other armed forces.   The research, which was carried out in partnership with the University of Adelaide, was based on data collected from more than 30,000 United Kingdom and…

Nearly 150 people diagnosed with incurable asbestos-related cancer in Yorkshire

Almost 150 people across Yorkshire have been diagnosed with an ‘incurable’ lung cancer – which is usually linked to asbestos in the last five years.   A Freedom of Information request from the York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust has revealed how many people were diagnosed in the area between 2019 and 2023.…

Classroom asbestos – 10,000 pupils and teachers have died in 40 years

It has recently been confirmed that about 10,000 pupils and teachers have died due to asbestos in schools within the last four decades.   Figures were produced by the Joint Asbestos Committee, revealing that the large number of deaths have been caused by toxic asbestos-containing material used in classrooms and school settings between the decades…

Volkswagen ordered to pay damages of $5.75 million in Mesothelioma case

During the years 1972-75, whilst working at Spokane Volkswagen dealership as an auto mechanic, Mr. Sorrentino, developed malignant mesothelioma which is a rare and fatal asbestos-related disease.   Mesothelioma is a cancer that usually starts in the layers of tissue that cover each lung (the pleura) – this is called pleural mesothelioma. More rarely it can start…

The rise of women with Mesothelioma

Latest figures from Cancer Research UK show that, while men account for most cases of Mesothelioma, cases among women rose by 93 per cent between 1993 and 2018 (compared with 47 per cent in men).   Dean Fennell, professor of thoracic medical oncology at the University of Leicester, says, “The proportion of women being diagnosed…

UK failing to manage asbestos

A report into asbestos has recently suggested that “extensive asbestos remediation work is still needed to thousands of buildings across the UK”.   The report jointly produced by the Asbestos Testing and Consultancy (ATaC) Association and the National Organisation of Asbestos Consultants (NORAC) indicated that that asbestos is still present in more than 100,000 buildings…