A former textile worker is questioning if his job has given him cancer.
Maintenance man Brian Newby, 84, described his shock at being diagnosed with mesothelioma, a fatal disease that can be caused by exposure to asbestos.
Mr Newby and solicitors at Irwin Mitchell are investigating if it stems from his job in a Skelmanthorpe textile mill, where he says pipes were lagged with asbestos.
He was employed by Edwin Field and Sons, a textile manufacturer that employed over 100 people from 1963 to 1986.
After initially working as a flatbed operator, driving flatbed trucks and distributing rugs, Mr Newby was employed as a maintenance man in the company’s mill which was based at Skelmanthorpe from 1964.
He’s appealing for colleagues to help solicitors build up a picture of working conditions and investigate whether more could have been done by his former employers to protect him.
Married to his wife Betty for 54 years, he said: “My diagnosis came as a complete shock to me and I was angry and frustrated to find out that it was likely caused by my exposure to asbestos during my working life. At no point was I given any training or warned about the dangers of asbestos.
“The disease has already had a significant impact on my day-to-day life. I am grateful to my four grandchildren and daughter-in-law as they help me around the house and take me shopping.
“I am concerned about what the future holds for me and my family as my condition inevitably worsens.
“I urge any of my former colleagues at Edwin Field & Sons Limited to contact my legal team at Irwin Mitchell if they feel they can provide any details that can help this investigation and help my lawyers get justice for me and ensure those responsible for my exposure to asbestos are held to account.”
Brian recalls pipes which were lagged with asbestos in the factory, which would have to be removed for maintenance work and repairs to be carried out. It would create a lot of dust that would linger in the air and get on the workers’ clothes.
He was also called on to cover the boiler man at times and would help to maintain a Lancashire boiler which was also lagged with asbestos.
Nicola Handley, an expert industrial disease lawyer who is representing Brian, said: “Mesothelioma is a debilitating and fatal disease. What is worse is that it is caused by exposure to asbestos and that from around the 1950s onwards the majority of employers knew about the associated risks of asbestos but sadly some did not take necessary preventative actions to protect their employees against the risks of asbestos.”
Contact Nicola Handley at Irwin Mitchell on 0113 220 6233 or email Nicola.handley@irwinmitchell.com if you can assist.
