Time to reflect on asbestos deaths
SHOCKING new figures show the amount of deaths caused by asbestosrelated diseases in the region is among the highest in the country.
Our once-thriving shipyard and building industry is now seen to be taking its toll on thousands of its employees.
But only now do we have the appalling figures which show the region has had almost 6,300 deaths linked to the deadly material over the period from 1981 to 2015.
And, comparing the amount of deaths to how many normally expected to die in the area (standard mortality ratio), North Tyneside is ranked third in the UK for the highest male mesothelioma deaths and South Tyneside comes fourth – with 491 and 364 respectively.
It is only beaten by Barrow-in-Furness and West Dunbartonshire. The grim death chart also showed Sunderland came second highest for female mesothelioma deaths, 144, only being topped by Barking and Dagenham.
Workers Memorial Day is on April 28 and specialist Newcastle lawyers at Irwin Mitchell say it is an “important time” to reflect on the dangers of asbestos, after new Health and Safety Executive (HSE) figures highlighted the staggering number of deaths linked to exposure to the substance.
According to the latest HSE’s figures available, there were 467 asbestosis deaths in the UK in 2015.
Lawyers say it’s a day to “remember the dead and to fight for the living” by paying respects to those who have died as a result of their employment and continue to improve health and safety standards in the workplace.
Events taking place to mark the day include memorial and remembrance services in Hartlepool, Stanley, Crook and Sunderland.
Grieving Denise Thompson, 58, from Battlefield in Newcastle, lost her dad Tommy Baldwin last year on April 12, aged 87. Although not diagnosed with cancer during his life, a post-mortem examination discovered he was suffering from asbestos-related lung cancer.
In August, at an inquest into his death, the coroner recorded a narrative verdict in which she said the father-ofthree had died due a combination of natural causes and industrial disease.
Denise said: “It is disgraceful that so many people are dying from asbestos related diseases. The figures are so high and shows the extent of the problem.
“My dad worked in the shipyards and on the building sites. It was only when he died did we know it was asbestos related. It was horrific seeing my dad die like that.”
Irwin Mitchell has provided legal support to a vast number of people across the North East whose lives have been affected by asbestos, including those diagnosed with related illnesses or individuals who have sadly lost a loved one to such a condition.
Roger Maddocks, a partner and asbestos-related disease expert at Irwin Mitchell’s Newcastle office, said: “Workers Memorial Day is an important moment to reflect on the terrible legacy that asbestos has had on so many lives and these recent HSE figures highlight the sad reality that we see day to day in our work.
“That reality is many people are dying due to asbestos exposure in their past. The majority of those exposed to asbestos were done so at work, and were completely unaware of the dangers of asbestos when exposed to it.
“The deaths were entirely preventable and resulted overwhelmingly from negligence and/or breach of statutory duty on the part of employers who failed to fulfil their legal duties to provide safe working conditions for their workforce.”
According to the HSE figures, the number of deaths caused by mesothelioma between 1981 and 2015 in the Tyne and Wear area alone stood at 2,319 (1,969 male and 350 female) with the rest of the North East recording 3,979 (3,415 male and 564 female) across the same period.