Ian Bailey of Irwin Mitchell helped a widow recover compensation after her husband died of sino-nasal cancer.
Barry Haw contracted the condition after being exposed to wood dust over many years while working as a craftsman for Robert Thompsons Craftsmen Limited.
Mr Haw spent much of his career working with hardwoods such as oak and beech. He became seriously ill in 2006 and sadly died as a result of his cancer in late 2007.
Sino-nasal cancer is rare, but studies have shown that exposure to wood dust significantly increases the risk of developing the disease.
Mr Haw’s widow Heather said: “I lost my husband through this awful disease. All that Barry did, just like his father, was go to work in order to provide for his family. From the time he first developed the illness, he endured an awful lot from horrendous surgery to radiotherapy and chemotherapy. I would not want anyone else to go through that.”
Ian Bailey, a specialist in occupational cancers said: “It seems that there are some jobs where the incidence of the disease is relatively high and this includes furniture manufacturers and joiners. The link between the disease and exposure to hardwood dust is particularly strong with exposure to oak, beech and mahogany.
“Although this is not a widely known cancer it is something that craftsmen working with wood need to be aware of to allow them to take the appropriate precautions to protect their health."