A recent study that was conducted by epidemiologists in Spain has backed up the long held belief by victims of mesothelioma that bans on asbestos work to protect anyone else from getting the deadly disease.
Published in the Spanish medical Journal Gaceta Sanitaria, the report completed analysis of previous asbestos and mesothelioma studies and used those reports to show showed that although every type of asbestos does pose a potential risk, there are specific types of the mineral that contain fibres that are particularly harmful.
The highest mesothelioma rates were in those......
Continue Reading
A national asbestos-related cancer charity (Mesothelioma UK) has appointed Leah Taylor as the new head of nursing. In her new role, Leah will work closely with the charity’s operational team and trustees as well as providing strategic leadership to the charity’s network of 34 UK clinical nurse specialists.
Leah previously worked as team leader for the Mesothelioma UK North of England team and is currently based at the Wansbeck General Hospital, Northumbria. The appointment follows the retirement of former UK head of nursing, Lorraine Creech, who leaves the charity after eight......
Continue Reading
Stuart Raggett, 76, died of mesothelioma in June 2021 as a result of exposure to asbestos materials while working as an engineer. His family have since launched an investigation, hoping to discover exactly how and when Stuart came into contact with the fatal material.
Foremost, the family is appealing for Stuarts former colleagues to come forward and provide any information they have which may help their case. Mr Raggett worked at Springfield psychiatric hospital in Tooting, from 1968 to 1969, King George V Hospital in Godalming, between 1969 and 1971, and St Luke’s......
Continue Reading
Following a freedom of information request by the Observer newspaper it has been revealed that the BBC has paid £1.64m in damages after 11 previous members of staff died due to asbestos related diseases that were contracted because of their work in BBC buildings that were covered in the deadly material.
These payments were made to the families of the former staff members who had worked as make-up artists, engineers, riggers, set builders, studio managers and television producers at the corporation across many different BBC buildings up and down the country......
Continue Reading
Roy Williams, from Ammanford in Carmarthenshire, had three sons - all of whom followed in his footsteps into the IT industry. Jason, his middle boy, had no idea this job might ultimately end his life. However, 20 years later and then a father of two teenagers he was diagnosed with mesothelioma, a form of cancer linked to asbestos exposure.
Tragically, Jason died only six months later at just 45 years-old. In a recent interview with the BBC his father, Roy Williams, is urging bosses in the private and public sectors to......
Continue Reading
As we pass the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attack, a new report from the Fire Department of New York World Trade Center Health Program has highlighted the health effects that the firefighters who appeared on the scene following the tragedy are now facing.
It is estimated that approximately 410,000 first responders were at the site of the attack in the following days and weeks inhaling toxic materials as they assisted in saving lives. Nearly 3,000 people died on what many termed ‘America’s Darkest Day’ but in the succeeding 20 years a......
Continue Reading
Over the last 100 years the risks of asbestos and subsequently mesothelioma has been continually explored across the world and recently a study from Thailand was published that further reveals the risks of the disease and the struggle to protect people from being exposed to it.
The target of their study was to determine the number of people in Thailand that died with traces of asbestos in their lungs in the period of one year. The analysis they conducted showed that of 200 autopsies the substance was present in nearly half......
Continue Reading
Those who already suffer with mesothelioma could be at risk of complications due to the coronavirus/COVID-19 outbreak. As a respiratory illness which is rapidly spreading across Europe and the rest of the world it is greatly concerning to anyone with a pre-existing lung or breathing issue.
Mesothelioma patients should arm themselves with the necessary information and resources they need to keep themselves safe in this time.
What are the risks?
There are multiple risk factors COVID-19 will present for mesothelioma patients. The possibility of delaying cancer treatment is a real risk for sufferers......
Continue Reading
According to a new report by thinktank ResPublica, the regulation of asbestos in Britain is so inadequate that a child could be exposed to up to 10 times as much of the deadly material as they would in many other European countries.
The report is heavily critical of the current regulatory regime, directly comparing the levels allowed in the UK to those in Germany:
“A child inhales between five and 10 cubic metres of air per day, meaning the permitted levels of airborne asbestos......
Continue Reading
The town called Asbestos
Asbestos town is located at southern Quebec province. Its first asbestos mine was established in 1879 and helped the local community grow dramatically. Today, its economy entirely depends on asbestos mining, extraction and production, as does the life of its citizens. Despite numerous attempts to outlaw the substance, the government maintained its support for the asbestos industry. In the case of Asbestos town, a $58 million loan was granted by the government to keep the last mine operational. However, following a new presidential election, the loan was cancelled, preventing further......Continue Reading