Pictured above: Alida Coates
A lawyer has spoken out on a day when the UK remembers the
victims of asbestos related disease, asking that people don't
forget the far reaching impact the deadly material can have on
families, tearing them apart.
Traditionally a disease that was known to claim the lives of
industrial workers, the numbers of mesothelioma deaths among women
has increased more rapidly than the increase among men over the
last ten years.
In 2008 the numbers of men lost to asbestos disease was 1,865 -
35 per cent higher than the number in 1999 - whereas the number of
female deaths, 384, was a staggering 68 per cent higher.
The timely reminder from leading lawyer and asbestos specialist
at Irwin Mitchell, Alida Coates, comes on Action Mesothelioma Day
(Friday July 1st) - an annual event that raises awareness of
the threat posed by the asbestos related cancer, and remembers
those who have suffered as a result of it.
To draw attention to 'the often forgotten victims of asbestos
related disease' Coates is reiterating Irwin Mitchell's calls for
the Government to end the uncertainty of where asbestos is located
in the UK by implementing a survey of all public buildings in
the country.
She says the survey should:
• Outline which buildings contain asbestos, particularly
schools and hospitals to protect the most vulnerable
• Say which of those buildings are in a potentially
dangerous condition
• Identify a long-term asbestos management plan which
should be implemented as a priority
Commenting on the legacy of asbestos in the UK, Coates said:
"Asbestos has long been associated with heavy industry, such as
ship-building, but sadly we are seeing an increasing number of
people from other sectors - such as health and education - falling
victim to diseases like Mesothelioma. There has also been a
significant rise in the number of people who have come into contact
with asbestos in public buildings who are seeking legal
advice."
Coates goes on to say that many people who didn't come into
direct contact with asbestos in an industrial setting - like
teachers and hospital workers - were exposed to asbestos in their
workplaces which were built using the material in the post war
years.
She continues: "Over the years, as asbestos containing materials
began to deteriorate and crumble, many UK workers were inhaling the
lethal fibres as they went about their daily tasks, completely
unaware of the dangers they were facing, putting them at risk of
developing an asbestos related disease.
"The rising numbers of 'white collar workers' who are going on
to suffer from mesothelioma highlights the need for a proper
record of which public buildings -whether they are council offices,
hospitals or schools - contain asbestos to prevent future, needless
tragedies."
Coates goes on to urge the Government to establish an Employers'
Liability Insurance Bureau (ELIB) which would help victims injured
at work who find out, when they come to make a claim for
compensation against their employer, that the company they worked
for either did not have insurance cover in place or the insurer
cannot be traced making it difficult, if not impossible, for them
to achieve justice.
She added: "Setting up an ELIB would provide invaluable support
to people left fatally injured or ill through the fault of their
employer. Money can't buy your health back of course, but having an
insurance fund to provide financial support to asbestos disease
victims and their families, in cases where no insurer can be
traced, would at least be a safety net."