12-12-2007
Pipe fitter and plumber in compensation award
A pipe fitter and plumber in Tyneside has received compensation after being exposed to asbestos.
The 67-year-old has been awarded over £150,000 in compensation after becoming exposed to asbestos while performing his duties as a plumber at a shipyard in Newcastle, reports Workplace Law.
As a consequence of the exposure, the claimant later developed mesothelioma, an asbestos-related form of cancer, of which there is no cure.
"Mesothelioma is a formerly rare form of cancer in which malignant (cancerous) cells are found in the mesothelium, a protective sac that covers most of the body's internal organs," said the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).
"It principally affects the pleura (lining of the lungs) and peritoneum," it added.
Asbestos is known to be responsible for a number of other serious conditions, such as asbestos-related lung cancer and diffuse pleural thickening, and is known to be the greatest cause of work-related death, according to the HSE.