Kent Messenger Maidstone

Worker was exposed to asbestos

-

A retired woodworker died from the effects of being exposed to asbestos several decades ago, an inquest has found.

Henry Shields passed away from mesothelio­ma at Maidstone Hospital, aged 91, in January.

He had been diagnosed with the cancer, a type usually caused by asbestos exposure, the previous year.

An inquest into his death at Archbishop­s’ Palace on Monday heard Mr Shields, of Plains Avenue, had worked at Leonard Gould and Company Ltd in Loose between 1945 and 1990.

Initially he had been making furniture but during the Second World War work shifted to making boxes for the government. Before retiring he was a supervisor there.

The coroner heard the woodworker suffered from dementia and could not recall much about how he may have been exposed.

But a statement written by Mr Shields before his death was read out, which explained that, during his employment at Leonard Gould and Company Ltd, he was involved in the constructi­on and refurbishm­ent of the firm’s building, which contained the deadly material.

He feared it may have been at that time he had inhaled harmful dust and fibres.

Senior coroner for Mid Kent and Medway, Patricia Harding, concluded he had died from an industrial disease.

She said: “Although the evidence in this case doesn’t indicate that Mr Shields was working with asbestos on a daily basis there is sufficient evidence in my judgement that Mr Shields was exposed to asbestos during the constructi­on of the building and replacemen­t of part of the building during refurbishm­ent.”

 ??  ??

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from United Kingdom