We are pleased to report that we have recently secured a substantial sum of compensation for our client, Mr. H., who was diagnosed with peritoneal mesothelioma in 2019. The cancer affects the lining of his stomach and, unfortunately, there is no cure. We, therefore, settled the claim as quickly as possible to ensure he received the deserved compensation.
Harts Lane Site, Barking
A detailed witness statement was obtained from Mr. H. in support of his mesothelioma claim which confirmed that his first job, after leaving school in 1948, involved working at Cape Asbestos’s infamous Harts Lane site in Barking, Essex. He also worked at other sites nationwide. He was employed as an apprentice lagger between 1948 and 1953 and then as a fully qualified lagger between 1955 and 1957.
In his evidence, Mr. H. describes needing to mix up raw asbestos powder with water in tubs to lag new pipes and boilers. As he poured the raw asbestos powder out of sacks, huge amounts of asbestos dust would billow up into the atmosphere. He would inevitably breathe in the asbestos and this eventually led to him developing mesothelioma in 2019.
Mixing Process
Mr. H. would mix up the asbestos paste and apply a coating of asbestos and then build this up to the required thickness. He carried out all this work by hand and then used a ‘straight edge’ to smooth the asbestos to a straight and regular finish. He would then use a ‘steel’ to apply the finish and polished look to the lagging, which set into place around the pipes and boilers they worked on. It was very dusty work.
Mr. H. carried out this work all around the country for the company on a daily basis, working at customer sites, but he also carried out this type of work at the Harts Lane factory itself. This was a huge site, entirely devoted to producing asbestos products. Asbestos was heavily used in those days for fire retardant and heat insulation purposes. He remembers seeing asbestos being blown around the site and outside to the streets when he worked at the factory. He has been told that children used to gather it up to throw it at each other like snowballs and that it was found on the windows and sills of nearby houses.
No Safety Precautions
Mr. H. also carried out his lagging work at a power station in Ipswich and, in those days, Mr. H. would go home in his dust covered work clothes. Whilst he dusted himself down, he would still be travelling to and from work in this contaminated state and would also walk around the house with asbestos strands and dust still on his clothing.
Mr. H. was never formally warned of the dangers of being exposed to asbestos when working for Cape Asbestos, nor was he ever provided with any form of mask to wear.
Cape’s Devastating Legacy
Sadly, thousands of people have suffered the same fate as Mr. H. as a result of being exposed to harmful amounts of asbestos dust at the hands of Cape. Mr. H. was pleased that we were able to hold them to account for his suffering, and substantial asbestos compensation was recovered to cover his ongoing care and provide financial security for his wife.
If you require assistance in pursuing a mesothelioma claim or believe you have a valid claim for asbestos disease compensation for any other illness, then please contact us today on our freephone number 0800 038 6767. Alternatively, head over to the ‘Contact Us’ page, complete the form and we will be in touch.