Pauline Wardle’s Husband Matt Is One Of The Youngest Victims Of Asbestos Cancer

A young widow is calling for a national risk register for asbestos on Action Mesothelioma Day today after her husband died from the disease aged just 41.

Pauline Wardle, 39, from Rainworth, is struggling to comprehend her husband’s illness and subsequent death at John Eastwood Hospice in Sutton-in-Ashfield, on June 1 last year, just three months after being diagnosed with terminal asbestos-related cancer, mesothelioma.

Matt, a technical author, and father-of-two was diagnosed with mesothelioma, a cancer of the lining of the lungs, on February 29 last year and his health rapidly declined.

Shortly before his death, Matt instructed expert industrial disease lawyers at Irwin Mitchell, who are now investigating where he may have been exposed to asbestos.

Mesothelioma is an aggressive, and terminal, form of cancer caused by exposure to asbestos, often decades before victims begin to suffer with symptoms. According to the latest statistics from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) more than 2,500 people in the UK lose their lives to the disease every year.

Matt and Pauline had just returned from a holiday to Disneyland Paris in late December 2015 with Rosie, then six, and Harry, then nine, when Matt started to complain of pain in the right side of his chest. At first, it was thought to be muscular but then he developed a cough and after a few weeks under GP supervision Matt was admitted to Kings Mill Hospital on February 1, 2016 for further investigations.

The former Heathlands, Berry Hill Middle School and Sherwood Hall School pupil had held office jobs most of his life apart from a student job as a shop assistant at a local Co-op supermarket in 1994 and 1995 and a four month stint on the production line at Carnaud Metal Box, a tin manufacturing company based at Rock Valley, Mansfield, from June to October 1995.

The building where Matt worked was demolished in 2010 save what Matt described as its ‘iconic’ clock tower; a well-known Mansfield landmark.

Pauline, who is continuing her husband’s search for answers, is now using Action Mesothelioma Day (July 7) to call for a national asbestos risk register so employees know whether they are at risk of exposure at work.

Action Mesothelioma Day aims to bring together victims of the disease, those who have loved ones affected by the disease, healthcare professionals, support groups and those working to understand the disease and find a cure, to ensure the public are aware of the terrible impact it can have on sufferers and their carers.

Mesothelioma is most commonly associated with heavy industry and the building trade and the vast majority of deaths from mesothelioma are in people over the age of 65. It is predicted that mesothelioma deaths will continue to rise every year before reaching a peak in about 2020.

On what would have been her husband’s 42nd birthday on May 18th, Pauline launched an appeal for Matt’s former colleagues at Carnaud Metal Box to come forward with information on working conditions at the firm. It is believed that asbestos may have been used in the braking systems of the conveyor belts where Matt would have worked.

She said: “Nothing can bring Matt back to me, but not only do I want answers as to how he came to be exposed to asbestos, but I hope that the legacy of Matt’s death is that the lives of other people can be saved.

“Matt was unknowingly exposed to asbestos somehow, whether at work or at school. That shouldn’t have happened, full stop. He should have been protected from the evil effects of asbestos.

“I think there should be a nationally held register of buildings where asbestos is present so that the owners of those buildings can be held to account if those using them are not adequately protected.

“Until he fell ill Matt was the healthiest person I knew. He rarely had any time off work due to ill health. It’s been over a year now since we said our goodbyes, and until I have answers and something is done to better protect people from asbestos dust, the grieving process is on hold.

Expert Opinion

“Mesothelioma is a very aggressive disease and causes an untold amount of pain and suffering for victims - such as Matt - and their families.

“The first Asbestos Regulations, to manage the use of asbestos because of its danger to health, became law in 1931, so to learn that people were exposed to the fibres many decade later is very upsetting for the individuals or the families who come to us.

“Asbestos was commonly used in industry and the building trade for many years and, tragically, although employers ought to have known of the dangers it posed to the health of their staff, they did not implement safety measures and warnings to protect workers from inhaling the toxic substance.

“More than 2,500 people die in the UK every year from mesothelioma – a number which is likely to rise over the coming years due to the common use of asbestos in the building trade in the 1970s. This is why we support Action Mesothelioma Day, with the aim of ensuring that this disease, which affects thousands of victims and their families every year, is never far from public consciousness.”

“Understandably, Matt’s diagnosis came as a huge shock to him and Pauline, particularly as he was so incredibly young compared to most victims of the disease. The majority of people affected by mesothelioma were exposed to asbestos at work well before the 1990s but we are seeing more and more clients who have been exposed to the dangerous dust in public buildings and during refurbishments of older buildings.” Adrian Budgen - Partner

Anyone with information on working conditions at Carnaud Metal Box in the 1990s should contact Adrian Budgen on 0114 274 4371 or by emailing Adrian.Budgen@IrwinMitchell.com