Mesothelioma

For around five years he fitted gantries onto press heads to carry pneumatic or electric lifts to handle moulds, and had to break off sections of asbestos lagging, the writ claims.

It says he and others walked through dry asbestos on the flood and swept this up, and alleges he was present when pipe fitters broke off asbestos lagging from pipes, and worked near to laggers who mixed up and applied fresh asbestos lagging.

He is also said to have been present when asbestos lagging was removed in the late 1960s and is said to have inhaled large amounts of asbestos dust.

Mr Ashton worked for Rhodia between 1983 and 2003 as a foreman fitter at its premises in Poleacre Lane, Woodley, Stockport, and was also exposed to asbestos when he brushed against lagging on steam jackets and coils, and walked through asbestos debris, the writ says.

He sometimes removed old preformed asbestos lagging, which usually broke, and had to remove asbestos rope on smoke box doors to a boiler, the writ alleges.

He also removed asbes...

It claims that in the course of his work he supervised the construction of tunnels, which were caulked with a compound cord which contained asbestos, and he was exposed to asbestos when he inspected the work of caulkers.

He developed malignant Mrs Reed accuses her husband’s former employers of negligence and says they failed to provide protective equipment, failed to damp down asbestos, failed to warn him of the dangers to his heath and failed to provide a safe system and place of work.Mrs Reed’s is the latest in a series of legal actions brought by cancer victims, or their relatives, from all over the country.

She brings her claim under the Law Reform (Miscellaneous Provisions) ...