Cancer Care

Retired asbestos moulder William Adams died from long-term exposure to the deadly mineral during his working life at a factory near Stroud, a coroner has ruled.Mr Adams, 85, who spent his career shaping asbestos at the Fibrecrete plant in Chalford, had inhaled so much of the fibrous material that it spawned the rare cancer, malignant mesothelioma, in the lung lining.

Gloucestershire coroner Alan Crickmore recorded a verdict of death by industrial disease after hearing that Mr Adams died of the asbestos-related cancer.

Mr Adams’ daughter, Beryl Bullock, told the hearing, at Cirencester Register Office, that her father worked as an asbestos moulder for Fibrecrete between 1948 and 1970.

“He said he used to make sheet boards from blue asbestos and that the workers wore no protective clothing,” she said. “The dangers weren’t known at that time.”

When he began to suffer breathing difficulties, the family were not shocked when suspected malignant mesothelioma was diagnosed.

“We knew people who worked with him who had become affected by the disease, so it was not too much of a surprise,” she said.

Mr Adams, of The Glebe, Sapperton, died on March 21 this year at Cirencester Hospital, where he was receiving palliative care.

Pathologist, Dr Richard Bryan, said tests found that his lungs contained on average 529 asbestos fibres per gramme of dry lung tissue.

“That shows significant occupational exposure,” he said.

He died from pneumonia caused by the malignant mesothelioma tumour, which is almost always caused by asbestos exposure.

Mr Crickmore said: “I have yet to see a case of malignant mesothelioma without asbestos exposure.

“In a countryside setting such as Gloucestershire, that amount of fibres is far higher than you would expect to see.

“I am satisfied that this man died as a result of being exposed to asbestos during the course of his employment.”

source : www.thisisgloucestershire.co.uk